Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-26
EIihu Root Declares Nation
Must Arm to Back Up World
/. Peace Plans Of President

Elihu Root, former Secretary Of State
and former senator. delivered an ad-
dress at the Congress of Constructive
Patriotism. being held under the au-
spices Of the National Security League
at the New willard Hotel. late yester-
day afternoon. in which he called the
nation to arms In connection with an
analysis he presented Of President Will
sons recent peace speech to the
Senate.
Mr. Root took the. point Of view that
President Wilson really wants force
sask to r. snsopee anS that
for the sake Of peace 1t Is absolutely
necessary for the United States to
provide increased military prepared
ness. He appealed for universal mill
tary service. and said that Teutonic
aspirations menace the IDEALS of Amer
lean liberty. He said he was in full
sympathy with President Wilson's
recent speech, so far as Its purposes
were concerned, and that the Presi-
idealism."
Declares Preparation Necessary.
Mr.. Roots address was. in part, as
follows:
u
speech in the Senate Of which we have
all been reading. and wish you to OBJ
serve that the only way he sees out
of the war that is devastating Europe
il by preparation for war. There is
much noble ideaIism in his speech;
there is mitch noble idealism in that
speech OF the President. With its pur-
pose I fully sympathize. The kind of
he &c he hat
long for. But the way he sees to pre-
serve that peace 10 by preparation for
war. Now. IL some Of our friends
smcng the corn Fields and The cotton otto,
orchards will set UP and read this clause
Of the Presidents speech, telling how
we may prevent further wars. they
have reason 70 wSndss
Mere agreement may not make
peace secure. It will be absolutely
necessary that force be created as a
Settlement so much greater than the
force of any nation now engaged, or
any alliance hitherto formed or pro-
jected. that no nation. no probable com
binations of nations. could face or
Withstand it. If the peace presently to
be made is to endure. 1t must be a
peace made secure by the organized
| major force of mankind
What Paragraph Means.
'eNow. hope that paragraph means
what I hope 1t does. do not under.
stand It as intended to commit the
United States to enter into a conven-
| ton or treaty with the other civilized
countries of the world. which will
bind the United States to go to war
on the continent of Europe or of Asia
OF in any other part of the world with
out the people of the United States
having an opportunity at the time to
say whether they will 20 to war or
not. There would be serious difficult
i ties, / think. insurmountable obstacles
to the making OF any such agreement.
One 10. that agreement or no agree.
ment, when the time comes the people
Of the United States will not 20 into
any war. and nobody can get them
into any war. unless they then are in
nothing can be so base a. to make q
treaty and then break it.
What I understand by 1t 10 that a
convention shall be made by which all
the civilized nations shall agree with
all their power to stand behind the
maintenance of the peace thus agreed
upon, then, under the sanction of that
upon then under the sanction of that
agreement, each nation shall determine
what is it's duty to do toward the main
ttenance OF that peace. But observe that
that 10 worthless meaningless unie SIS
the nations that enter into 1t keep the
power behind 1t. II will be WORTHLESS
agreement on our part II we haven't 4
ship or q soldier that we can contribute
for The maintenance Of that pSecs ~
4 ahsolntslz rsquirss that we shall
Il (ContfnooA ~ TsWeIffh pnOn < -