New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-26

Serbia. IL was national evolution that
crushed Belgium. And national evolu-
ton has not confined itself TO the path
wav TO the Channel or to the pathway
20 the Bosporus. II has extended over
Asia and Africa, all over the world, ex-
cept America, North and South-eager
and grasping and resolute, gathering
in under It's flag, under domination. un..
der national control, the territory oil
the earth.
"Arl nations have been attacked dur
ing this last half century, aye listen
to me. many crimes have been COM
mitted, no nations that | know have
been guiltless-none Neither Eng
land. nor France, nor Russia, nor Ger
MANY. nor Austria, nor the United
States. For we still have to answer
for Mexico. But the world Is partl-
toned Africa, Australasia, the
islands Of the sea, all taken up-eN-
cept America.
America Stands Alone
And we stand here with the Mon.
roe 'Doctrine daughter, We stand
here with the Monroe Doctt,he
against the push and sweep OF that
mighty world tendency OF national
evolution to progress under the prih-
ciple that neither faith OF treaties
nor obligation of law nor rule Oh
morality should stand In the way Oh
a state that finds Ii to its interest 10
take what il wants Tor It's ha'iohai
interest.
Conserve that that doctrine is that
the safety of the United States ior-
bids any foreign military power 70
obtain a foothold upon this continent
from which il may readily make war
upon the United States-that IS the
Monroe Doctrine it is a declaration
of what i'm the opinion Of the United
States is necessary for the safety oil
the United States.
Now. that doctrine is not interna-
tional law. 1t has been maintained by
three things. In the first place, inc
men Of Monroes time never thought
of such thing as not being ready TO
fight for their rights. They were Bel
gians, those people.
"The second has been that the bal
ance of power IN Europe has been so
even, so close. ard everybody has been
so doubtful about what the other EEL
lows were going to do, that nobody
found il worth while to take on row
with the United States.
"And third, England's feet.
"Now / ask what that Monroe doe
trine will be worth T we aren't ready
to protect it? Suppose the result Of
this war IL such that these foreign
influences that have helped preserve
the Monroe Doctrine disappear and we
aren't ready to defend it? Worthless!
What will Il mean If a foreign naval
power, a real naval power, real mill
tary power, obtains naval base IN
the Caribbean, or in those islands OF
the Pacific of Panama? Our interest
in the Panama Canal will be as worth
less to US as TIE BosphoTus is TO Rus
STA to-day.
Fair Game for Anybody
, And instead of having what We have
spent, four hundred millions, is it, to
accomplish. the means of transferring
our navy from ocean TO ocean, our
navy will be shut up again on one side
or the other of the continent And
then we will have to live as poor, peace
able France has lived for the last
forty years, with a sentinel always on
B the lookout for an approaching foe.
+ Then the fancied security and sweet,
= comfortable ease of our people will be
replaced by alarms and rumors of war
and attack UPON occasion. For the
Monroe Doctrine was based upon sound
wisdom and the abandonment of it or
the destruction of il will be the end
Of our security.
/ Here we all are. rich, unattended
supine fair game for anybody who
wants national evolution. Can any
body tell why it should not? Interest
and principle and habit all will CON
spire TO d treatment of America like
the treatment Of China. And there is
only one way possible for us 20 de-
fend or be ready to defend our rights,
aud that is by going back to the old
principle of universal preparation for
service
1--WE have found beyond the posi-
bility of question that volunteering,
however ready the people may be, will
not answer the purpose, because no
body volunteers until war. and when
the war comes it is too late for him
TO learn to do his duty. Nobody Is
volunteering now, nobody volunteers
for the National Guard or the regular
army, and nobody will until the war.
Much Noble Idealism
The President has recently made A
speech in the Senate of which we have
all been reading, and wish you ia
observe that the only way he sees out
Of the war that is devastating Europe
is by preparation for war. There il
much noble idealism in his speech
there is much noble idealism in that
speech Of the President With its pur.
pose fully sympathize. The kind OF
peace he describes is tho peace that
long for. But the way he sees Il
preserve that peace is by preparation
for war
"Now. If some Of our friends among
the corn fields and the cotton fields anC
the mines and the citrus fruit orchard,
will sit up and read this clause Of the
Presidents speech, telling how we may
prevent further wars, they may have
reason TO wonder whether they haven't
forgotten something. Here it is:
Mere agreement may not make peace
secure; v will ne absolutely necessary
that force be created as a guarantoI
Of TIC Drmsncncy Of the settlement
so much greater than the force Of any
! alton now engaged. or any allianc,
hitherto formed or projected, that NO
nation, no probable combinations of ma
tions, could face or withstand it, II
the peace presently 20 be made is "a
endure n INST be peace made secure
by the organized major force of man
kind
Nov. ! hope that paragraph means
what ] hope it does. | do not under
stand II as intended 10 commit the
I United States TO enter into a couvcu.