New-York tribune., 1918-11-18
As Nations Can
By Theodore Roosevelt
Copyright by The Kansas City Starr


FUNDAMENTALLY war and peace are
matters of the heart rather than of
organization, and any declaration peace
league which represents the high flown
sentimentalty of pacifsts and doctrinaires
will be worse than useless.
But if without in the smallest degree
sacrificing our belief in sound and intense
national aim we all join with the people
of England, France and Italy, and with the
people in smaller states who in practice
show themselves able to steer equally clear
of Bolshevism and of Kaserism, we may
be able to make real and much needed
advance in the international organization.
The United States cannot again COM
pletely withdraw into its she'll We need
not mix in all European quarrels nor as
sumo all spheres of interest everywhere to
be ours, but ought to join with the
other civilized nations of the world in some
scheme that in time of great stress would
offer likelihood of obtaining just settle
ments that will avert war.
Therefore, in my judgment, the United
States at the peace conference ought to be
able to cooperate effectively with the British
and French and Italian governments to sup
port a practical and effective plan which
won't attempt the impossible, but which
will represent a real step forward.
Probably the first essential would be to
limit the league at the outset to the Allies,
to the people with whom we have been
operating and with whom we are certain
We can cooperate in the future.
Neither Turkey nor Austria need now be
considered regards such league, and
we should clearly understand that Boil
shevist Russia is and that Bolshevist Ger
many would be as undesirable in such a
league as the German and Russian of the
Hohenzollerns and Romanoffs.
Bolshevism is just much an interna-
tional menace as Kaiserism.
{ Until Germany and Russia have proved
by course of conduct extending over years
that they capable of entering such d
league in good faith, so that we can count
upon their fulfilling their duties in it, it
would be merely foolish to take them in
The league, therefore, would have to be
based on the combination among the Allies
of the present war, together with any peo-
Piles like the Czecho- Slovaks, who have
shown that they are fully entitled to enter
| into such league if they desire to do So.
|
itself its right to establish its own tariff
and general economic policy and absolutely
ought to control such vital questions as
immigration and citizenship and the form
of government it prefers. Then it would
probably be best for certain spheres of
interest to be reserved to each nation or
a group of nations.
The northernmost portion of South Amer
lea and Mexico and Central America. all of
them fronting on the Panama Canal, have
special interest to the United States. more
interest than they can have for any Euro
pean or Asiatic power. The general con-
duct of Eastern Asiatic policy bears most
close relationship to Japan. The same thing
is true as regards other nations and GER
tain of the peculiarly African and Euro
pean questions. Everything outside of what
is thus reserved, which affects anv two
members of the league or affects one mem
Der of the league and outsiders, should be
decided by some species of court, and all
the people of the league should guarantee
to use their whole strength in enforcing the
decision
hv Cho