The Washington herald., 1917-01-26
FORCE TO BACK
WILSON'S PEACE
URGED BY ROOT
Former Premier Declares
Vast Army and Navy Are
Essentials.
ADDRESSES CONVENTION
Says Presidents Project Would Be
Mere Scrap of Paper Unless 1t
Could Be Readily Enforced.

Elihu Root, of New York, thrilled the
1000 delegates to the Congress Of Con-
structive Patriotism. which opened here
yesterday with a remarkable plea for
military and naval preparedness to back
up President wills on's league to enforce
peace plan.
The former Secretary of State declared
that he fully sympathized with the Pres
dents purpose. bit that such an agree
ment among nations would be worthless
unless the nations entering into the pact
kept their full power behind it
There Is much noble idealism in the
Presidents speech" said Mr.. Root. but
the way he sees to preserve that peace is
by preparation for war. 1t will be a
worthless agreems ut on our part II We
haven't ship OF 4 soldier that we can
contribute to the ar, If war there ought
to be, for the maintenance of that peace.
And 1t absolutely requires that we shall
build up a force, potential power of arms.
commensurate with our size, our numbers,
our wealth, our dignity. our part among
the nations of the earth"
Ringing applause from the delegates
that Jammed the hall punctuated the re-
marks of the speaker as he proceeded
"Peace without victory"
The Presidents declaration that peace
must be a peace without victory" was
heartily indorsed by Mr.. Root.
But the peace that the President de-
scribes," Mr.. Root continued, involves
that absolute destruction and abandon
ment of the principles upon which this
war was begun. 1t doesn't say Serbia
it doesn't say Belgium but there the
chosen head of the American people has
dee Jared the principles.<of the American
de locracy in unmistakable terms; has
declared for the Independence and equal
rights of all small and weak nations;
has declared for a Monroe doctrine of
the whole world, precluding all nations
from interfering with the independent
control of its own affairs by every small
nation, from taking away the territory
Of other nations, from attempting to ex-
ercise the coercion of superior power
over other nations. for disarmament, for
the reduction OF these mighty armies and
navies. And every word of that declara-
ton, which truly believe represents the
conscience and judgment of the AmerI-
can people, denounces the sacrifice of
Belgium and Of Serbia and the principles
upon which they were made"
Mr.. Root declared that victory for the
principles announced by the Teutonic al
lies would mean the downfall of Ameri-
can freedom. He said:
State Interest Theory.
The present war which Is raging in
Europe was begun upon an avowal of
principles of national action that no
reasonable and thoughtful neutral could
ignore; the principle that a state
exigency, state interest, is superior to
those rules of morality which control in
dividuals
And upon that principle it was de-
clared that there was no obligation upon
nation to keep the faith of a treaty
If it did not suit its interests. 1t was
declared that there was no obligation
upon a nation to observe the rules of
that law of nations upon which all
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