The Washington herald., 1921-08-10
Our Foreign Policy.

to il or while it is in fux. But as soon as coun-
try really has an established foreign policy, its
underlying principles become a part OF the policy
ei- all parties. They, arc national, not partisan
- In recent article, an English critic commented
with some amusement, the constant reference
In sAuiaican politics to men, to former leaders.
He specified the exaltation OF Washington, JcferI
ison, Monroe and others who are constantly cited IN
AmcEican campaigns to national policies as II
dcmigods, and said anything similar in British
politics would seem absurd to Britons.
~ This but points the moral which adornS the
tale Great Britain's foreign policy is fixed 1t IS
a growth of centuries. 1t has never been put into
words by anyone. 1t is not expressed in formula
But every British subject the world over knows
exactly what it is; and parties come and go, but It
goes on unchanged, immutable, determined as
af OF a written constitution 1t is sort OF bill OF
international rights, great charter. 1t aims TO
establish the rights of the British in all parts OF
the world. 1t carries everywhere the safety in
ic property and trade. British liberty follows the
British subject. This is true OF all other gov
,ernmentS. Their foreign policies growths. They
have never been enunciated in set terms.
But if any, or all OF them, should undertake
to define and declare their foreign policies, they
would be found to be identical and could be
expressed in just three words: Great Britain first
ior France or Germany any of them, first"
II lS no element OF OF IN
OF them They not born of either of these.
This does not they, unfair. brutal, op-
pressivss crushing or unenlightened. But they are
material, having been born and developed in
material age. Save tempered by alliances. they
did not themselves with the rights of other
peoples. They were distinctly exclusive, and
at all inclusive.
IL Incusiveness is a wholly modern element in
international policies of all governments. 1t
NJ been forced. upon them with the growth OF
&Hrnational communications This new aspect,
FoNly evidenced in the development OF international
ldw is but the replacement of military power by
Economics as the dominating international force.
qntn very recent years, indeed almost until now
International policies have been based upon and
Ebnccrned themselves with little but military power
Ill Back OF every zone OF influence, OF all eco
fPmic penetration, OF every foreign concession, of
FIERY new trade route; OF all foreign commerce
Etood army and navy. Inevitably this aimed
Ff advantage, not equal opportunity; it aimed
~ political preference, control, at the closed
Eoor, not the open door. Armies and navics arc
regarded but as overhead of foreign commerce.
OF economic advantage, and the advantage" is
offset against the overhead. When advantage dis
appears, the overhead becomes a direct tax on
the home people, and it, too, must disappear As
The Herald it, this is the nut the disarmament
conference has to crack
In this, the United States is the one free lance
solely because OF its youth 1t has no foreign policy
III we had 1t would not be necessary to bolster
at by constant reference to the dicta OF men, 1t
would not be political issue to be fought out in
partisan campaigns. 1t would not be capable OF
exact definition, unless in the accepted United
States first" OF other governments The one and
sole factor in foreign policy which may be claimed
as established is the Monroe doctrine
1t lust 100 wears II u,c not +bo d;ct,r,
of Monroe alone, but that of all the accented
national leaders OF his day and of Madison before
him. 1t was but statement in a Presidential mes
sage but 1t has been accepted by all parties since
nwitnout dispute or quIbbe. 1t was not and is not
atruistIc. II born of the first" policy II was
to protect this country from foreign encroachments
But coming in time of economic weakness, of
population that had but begun to absorb a vast
region all its own, with seemingly endless oppor-
t1nity and resources, it clear Of any advantage
-ot any kind. Whatever the overhead it was a
proper and accepted charge to safety, to set-pro
.tcction, or sefprescrvaton.
. 1t IS but in the very recent years that foreign
trade has obtruded itself into our foreign affairs
,lohn Hays open door is the most concrete result
and strangely enough Washington's farewell .d
DRESS the warnings of Jefferson as to entanq1;no
alliances, the concurring words of Adams, and of
,other OF the early prophets are never referred to
as to our relations across the Pacific
q They if never written Though Wash
sngton said: at is policy to steer clear of
permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign
world" this is construed as applying only to Eu-
fope, and only to military alliances and not at all
70 the new and equally binding and far-reaching
economic alliances We cannot medde in anv wav
with Europe We can have part in its boun-
,dary disputes. We can but look on at their pene-
tFations in the Balkans the Near East or anywhere
erf1 fI,a e
only feed the starving
4 BUTT is say who shall have Sbantung
tprbfa9 who shall penetrate for economic advan-
sfage into Siberia Mongslia or Manchuria 1t Is