The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-23
Address Before Senate Only "a
GrandilOQuent Promise"
It's an Attempt to Conceal Ig-
nOminy of Administration.
COLONEL GIVES HIS VIEWS
He Says Woodrow Had Better
Practice on Mexico First.
Then Maybe He'll Qualify as a
European DabbIer.

oyster Bay, n. Y, Jan. 2S.-Label-
ling President Wilson's address as a
Srandiloquent promise, made in an at
tempt to conceal the pitiful ignominy
and Sinking of the present admins
tratlon, Theodore Roosevelt takes is
sue with the peace argument voiced
Monday afternoon before the senate.
The colonel bitterly announced that
until an emphatic stand is taken by
the American government on the Bel
Gian DECORATIONS, any statement
about our stand for Righteousness
IN the nebulous future is both ridicu-
ious and insincere.
so far as l am concerned" said
Colonel Roosevelt after reading the
presidents address carefully, those
interested in my views on these mat
ters will find them in my address to
the Nobel Peace prize committee in
Norway at the end of April, 1910, and
also II they will turn to the detailed
outline of "a world league to enforce
peace of righteousness in America
and the world war, the book 1 pub
lished more than two years ago, as
well as to my recent articles
1t is well to remember, however,
that unless the words of our govern
ment in this matter are to be accepted
as the idlest and most empty of all
idle and empty words, we must re-
member two or three plain bits of
homely fact.
THE first is that it is worthless to
make promises about the future I'M
less in the present we keep those we
have already made. Unless this gov
eminent is prepared at this moment to
take an emphatic position as regards
such hideOus outrage as the deporta-
ton. of men and women of northern
France and Belgium, it is both ridicu-
about standing for righteousness in
the nebulous future.
Start Out at Hcme First.
Moreover, unless this government
can bring the peace of justice to Mex
ico it had better not talk about secur-
ing the peace of justice turnout the
world.
"As regards freedom of the seas the
most important element in it is free
dom from murder, and until this gov
eminent has taken an effective stand
to prevent the murder of its citizens
by submarines on the high seas, 1t
makes itself object of derision by
speaking for the freedom of the seas
Interfering with life is worse than in
terfering with property.
LAS for the statement there can be
no real peace with victory, so far as
Belgium is concerned the statement
{ d
ment that after Bunker Hill and Lex
ington, there Could be no real peace If
victory came to the forces of General
Washington. If the men of Bunker
Hill were right, then the Belgians have
been right, and to say that the victory
of the oppressed-people struggling
for freedoms incompatible with
peace, deserves no more consideration
in one case than in the other.
''If President Wilson's statement
had been made by the Emperor Ma
poleon III or by Lord John Russell
in 1854 1 doubt if it would have won
| any very enthusiastic support from
Abraham Lincoln altho it would have
been applauded by the pacifists.
Need Universal Training.
| LAS for the limiting of armies. we
will do well to remember, before we
ask powerful nations to limit their
armies, that so long as we keep our
selves nearly on level of military
strength with China, our words will
! not carry much weight. If this ma
! ton would adopt the principle of uni
versal military training and military
service. it would secure an army which
would offer no temptation whatever
! for offense but would be very effect
i've for defense.
"If our foreign policy was conduct
! ed as it was when our battle fleet
was making its trip arouBd the world
! in 1908, our voice would now be and
would nave been potent for both
peace and righteousness. During the
last few years our government has
shown itself powerless to protect the
! lives of American men, women and
| children on the high seas and in Mex
( leo, and powerless to protect the honor
of American women in Mexico.
when we have learned to do our
duty in such an elementary matter,
when we have learned to keep the
promises we have made on behalf of
wea nations, when we have shown
Willingness to give proof of courage,
foresight, strength, and willingness to
undertake services and make sacrifices
I for higher causes in the present, we
shall command greater respect in the
world than we do at this moment.
I'VE shall not command such re-
spect as long as our government seeks
to conceal the pitiful igrominy and the
pitiful sinking of duty towards itself
( and towards others evident in its
conduct in recent years, by making
grandiloquent' promises, which there
! is nothing in its past record to indi-
cateStflat it would seriously attempt to
keep"