Evening star., 1923-01-30
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Hanging beside the writer's desk is
n Roosevelt" calendar. with quota
tIons OF significant sayings OF that
great man. The one exposed this
week fits the present circumstances
and developments with an aptness
that is striking:
"A nation must do we'll its duties
within it's own borders, but must not
make that an excuse for failing to do
those of its duties which lie without its
own borders
How should that message be inter
preted? America saved civilization
from the marauding Hun. That was
a duty without it's own borders"
And for four years after Armistice
day America has maintained a watch
upon the Rhine. as an indication that
we were interested in the enforce
ment of the treaty of Versailles.
That was a duty without our own
borders" When at last the Amer
lean troops were withdrawn from
Germany, they left, not as enemies,
but as friends; for it has been said,
as usual, that propinquity has had its
victories no less renowned than
war" Tears marked the departure,
blessings followed the boys in khaki
and brides, mothers, and even mothers
in-law came along. There was none to
lStrafe AfnerikI
All that change of feeling was per-
soral. not political. and Is not at all
likely to bring any conflict between
Roosevelts teaching as to duties
which lie without our own borders"
and Washington's warning against
"entangling alliances"
There are other than military du-
ties even for q. great people There
is the duty OF humanity, which makes
all the world kin. The Turk, un-
speaksbIe and Christian, appeals
for the sympathy of America Kennel
declares that he takes Washington as
his pattern and that the Turks have
fought only for their liberties. Per
haps, There is Greece struggling for
her liberty, and Poland. Russia, Ire
land, Germany. Each nation cries
for liberty But while each govern
ment is thus arming in defense or
for aggression, as the viewpoints diff
fer, there are the individuals starving
and dying. Famine will spread over
Germany, they claim, unless she re-
ceives from America 100000 tons of
food within the next two months.
Yet Germany was never devastated.
We must not fight Germany's battles,
for her ideals are not ours. But shall
the newborn babe starve?
X K X
Secretary of State Hughes has made
a frank statement Of the status Of
the so-called Boyden speech to the
reparations commission, in which that
observer" seemed TO be committing
his government TO advise that the
Versailles treaty must be modified and
the German reparations reduced.
This government has never author
lied any such entangling advice to
the allies. We are keeping out of
war as truly as we did in 19t6-at
least. That is this nations first duty,
within its own borders"
x \ = =
We have had too many wars of our
own. Small as they have all been.
compared with the horrors of the Eu-
ropean embroglio. yet they have left
their marks upon our prosperity,
which some of our citizens do not
seem to comprehend.
The war of 1912, in addition to the
direct costs of the fighting has cost
the government for pensions $685.
100000, and we are still paying pen
sions to seventy-nine of it's widows.
Ine Mexican, Indian, civil and Span
ism wars cost in pensions or other
compensation to veterans s450,000.-
VUo' ana so large is the number of
world war veterans that we are
spending now considera bly, more than
Sl,00o.0o0 a day for their hospitaliza-
tton and rehabilitation, although. to
their friends, there appears great
neglect in many cases.
According to Col. Clifford, assistant
secretary of the United States Treas
ury. more than half billion dollars
cash will be required within the next
year for the current care Of disabled
veterans of the world war, and it
takes billion annually to pay the
interest on liberty bonds and other
Indebtedness OF the government,
almost wholly due to our doing our
duty, both within and without the
nations borders. in connection with
the world war. Some of that billion
a year is due to be reimbursed to us
by the allies for the interest on our
loans to them-providing nawkish
sentimentalists do not succeed in find
ing way TO cancel Europe's obliga-
ton and saddling that interest and
principal entirely upon American tax
payers.
These statistics are gathered from
a speech by Col. Clifford this week
before the Chamber of Commerce.
And these facts suggest that Col.
Roosevelt, who advised us. as above
stated, not to let our duties within
our borders become an excuse for
falling to see those which lie outside
our borders, would be the first to
reverse that counsel and caution us
not only against entangling military
alliances, but also against letting our