The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-18
RoeaEvslT,s vlEw
His Last Editorial Deals With Future
Peace

New York Jan is.-An article ON
the league of nations, the last contri-
button that Theodore Roosevelt pre-.
pared for the Kansas City Star ap-
peared in that newspaper yesterday
The editorial was dictated Friday. the
Sd. and his secretary expected to take
typed copy 10 him for correction on
the following Monday Instead, she
was notified early that morning OF his
death. The article follows:
Il is, OF course. serious misfor.
time thai our people are not getting
clear idea OF what Is happening on the
other side for the moment the point
as to which We are foggy is the league
OF nations. We all of us earnestly de-
sire such a league, only we wish to be
sure that it VIII help and not hinder
the cause OF world peace and justice.
There Is not a young man in this
country who has fought. or an old
man, who has seen those dear to him
fight, WIN does not wish to minimize
the chance Of future war, But there
is not man of sense who does not
know that in any such movement If
too much Is attempted the result is
either failure or worse than failure.
THE trouble with Mr.. Wilson'S ut.
terances. so far as they are reported
and the utterances of acQuiescence in
them by European statesmen is that
they are still absolutely in the stage
of rhetoric precisely like the IA points
Some OF the IA points will probably
have TO be constructed as having
mischievous sentence, smaller mum
Der might be construed as being harm.
less and one or two even Is beneficial
but nobody knows what Mr.. Wilson
really means by them, and so all talk
OF adopting them as basis for peace
or league is nonsense and, II the talk.
er Is intelligent, 1t is insincere non.
sense to boot. SO Mr. Wilson's recent
utterances give us absolutely no clew
as 10 whether he really intends that
at this moment we shall admit Russia,
Germany-with which incidentally
! We are still waging war-Turkey,
China and Mexico into the league on r
full equality with ourselves. MIR.
Taft has recently defined tire purposes
OF the league and the limitations un.
der which II would act. In a way that
enables most of MS TO say we very
heartily agree in principle with his
! theory. and can. without doubt. come
/ to al agreement on specific details.
Would it not be well to begin with
the league which we actually have in
( existence The league OF the allies
Z who have fought through this great
war; Let US at the peace table see
that real Justice is done as among
these allies and TINT while the stern
est reparaticn IS demanded from our
foes for such horrors as those commit
ted in Belgium. northern France. Ar.
menia and the sinking OF the Lusitan.
ia. nothing should be done in the
spirit OF mere vengeance Then 10;
us agree to extend the privileges OF
the league as rapidly as their conduct
warrants it to oiher nations. doubtless
discriminating between those who
would have guiding part in the
league and the weak nations who
I would be entitled to the privileges OF
membership but who would not be en-
titled to guiding voice in the coun.
I,cils. Let each nation reserve to itself
and for its own decision and let 1t
clearly set forth questions which are
nonjusticable. Let nothing be done
that will interfere without preparing
for our own defense by introducing n
system of universal obligatory mill.
tary training modelled on the Swiss
plan
Finally, make It perfectly clear
that We do not intend to take a posi-.
ton of an International Meddesome
Matty. The American people do not
wish TO 90 into an overseas war un.
less for very great cause and where
the issue Is absolutely plain There
fore we do not wish 10 undertake the
responsibility Of sending our gallant
young men to die in obscure fights in
the Balkans or in central Europe or
In a war we do not approve of. More
over the American people do not IN
tend to give up the Monroe doctrine,
Let civilized Europe and Asia intro.
duoe some kind of q police system In
the weary and sisorderly countries at
their thresholds. But let the United
States treat Mexico as our Balkan
peninsula and refuse TO allow Euro
pean or Asiatic powers to interfere
on this continent in any way that
implies permanent or semipermanent
possession Every one Of our allies
will with delight grant this request II
President Wilson chooses to make IL
and It win be great misfortune IL il
Is not made
81 believe that such an effort made
moderately and sanely. but sincerely
/, and with utter scorn for words that
! are not made good by deeds. will be
productive of real and lasting inter
national good
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