Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-02

NEW YORK, January 2.-The follow
ing excerpts are from a copyrighted
article. THE League to Enforce Peace.
by Theodore Roosevelt, in the February
Metropolitan Magazine published today)
Germany has just perpetrated new
and dreadful offense against that moral
law which should govern nations even
when they are at war with one another
She has deported thousands of civilian
on-combatants. men and women, from
France, and tens of thousands from
Belgium, and announces that she will
deport hundreds of thousands more.
These captured civilians are to serve as
state-slaves in Germany. and by their
toll to make easier the conquest by
Germany Of their fellow countrymen.
Nothing approaching this outrage has
been perpetrated since the close of the
dreadful religious war of the seventeenth
century. Germany's act is one Of infamy:
and the act of any nation, or set Of men,
or individual man who fails to protest
as strongly as possible against it. or
whose conduct tends to distract atten-
ton from it, Is in the interest OF the
wronsdoer and is itself Infamous. The
agitation of the League to Enforce
Peace at this time is. therefore. move
against international morality, against
our own national honor and vital In
tsrest, and in the real interest Of in
ternational barbarity.
oppose the proposals OF the League
to Enforce Peace" because under exist
ing conditions. and at this time. and In
view Of the past performances of most
of the leaders of the movement. and
especially in view of the action of our
government and people during the last
two and half years. the agitation or
adoption of the proposals would be
either futile or mischievous- At this
time, in view of our utter national I'M
preparedness, and of our utter reck-
iessness in making promises which
cannot be. or ought not to be, kept, and
sof our utter failure to keep the prom
'ises we have made which ought to be
kept. the movement can do no possible
good: 1t might, il adopted by our gov
eminent. do very serious harm. and in
the more probable event of it's proving
merely futile 1t will tend to make US
ridiculous.
There are honorable and upright men
who have taken part in the movement.
These men believe to be misled. There
are large numbers Of well meaning and
enthusiastic men who. because of fall
ure to know the facts. seem to regard
the movement as promising something
Of worth. These men, I believe, should
have the facts put before them.
Follow Pacif1st Agttators.
Many. probably most. of the leaders
of the present movement are following
in the footsteps of land in many cases
are Identical with the various profess
sional pacifist agitators who during the
last quarter of a century have so deep
ly discredited the whole peace move
ment They have in the past opposed
preparedness, or advocated the dfsarm-
ament of this nation and Of the other
free nations OF the world-a disarma-
ment which would leave all the free
peoples at the mercy of every militar-
1stic despotism or barbarism. They
have advocated all-inclusive arbitration
treaties. to include the arbitration of
all questions Of national honor and vi
tai interest. They have advocated the
refusal to protect the lives of our men
and the honor of our women in foreign
lands. They have advocated the silly
ana wicked e-commission treatie
which have actually been adopted by
our government during recent years:
treaties which in any serious crisis
this nation would certainly break:
treaties which 1t would be dishonora Bile
to break. and far more dishonora Bile
serious crisis to keep.
Inc most Inscriptions mil.tarists
abroad heartily-and naturaliy-en-
couraEe paciist movements in this coun-
strongest aid and ENCOURAGEMENT To
militarfsm In every military autocracv
abroad. Germany Is obviously anxious
10 END the war. so long as it can be
ended to her advantage, and IL seems
likely that with this end in view she
VIII encourage and praise her dupes on
this side Of the water in the movement
Tor league to enforce peace. England
seems likely to take the same position
perhaps from similar reasons; more
likely FOR reasons Of home politics in
order to placate or fool the English
pacinsts Both Berlin and London will
act In their own interests If our fu
ture resembles our recent past Wash
ington Will let both of them profit at our
expense-but especially Berlin. for
washington IL more afraid OF Berlin.
Where League Does Harm.
cannot in this article discuss at
length all the considerations which
make the proposal for such a league
mischievous folly under existing condi-
lions Among other things. IL does us
moral harm by still further encourag-
ing our people to make grandiloquent
promises. with no consideration as to
how they are to be kept and no Sc
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