Evening star., 1925-04-19


quarter of century has
grown from a minor nation
i into the greatest of world
powers. It's policy with re-
gard TO war and peace is OF enormous
importance, not only to itself. but to
the world at large. Two paths are
open to the American people-isola-
ton or cooperation. For the last few
years we have f1irted with both poll
cies and definitely adopted neither of
them.
In the Forum for May this all-im-
portant question is debated by Rear
Admiral William Ledyard Rodgers,
former commander.in-chief of the
Asiatic fleet and technical adviser to
the Washington conference on the
limitation of armament. and Gen.
Tasker Howard Bliss, chief of staff of
the United States Army during the
World War and one Of the American
plenipotentiaries who negotiated the
peace of Versailles.
Admiral Rodgers is for isolation and
dependence solely upon our own
armed might. Gen. Bliss is for CO.
operation with Europe. Says Admiral
Rodgers: While this country has been
growing up it has been isolated from
the rest of the world, both in thought
and in fact. AS we had lands beyond
soon lost it's bitterness, and we set
! ourselves standard of easy, mutual
helpfulness and generosity, and of
wastefulness of natural resources
which is now becoming embarrassing
to us. Our country once had an ad-
| vancing frontier on the wilderness;
that wilderness is now occupied-the
high standards of living which this
country has enjoyed since the
1 la;< nh saf
| until recently. depended upon great
| reaches of unoccupied land, must in
| the future rest on other bases.
We must realize that in Europe
| population has pressed more closely
| upon the means of support than with
us; character there has been formed
| by fighting with man more than with
! nature.
America Slowly Awakens.
"As America has slowly awakened
! to the situation, our original policy
as to immigration has altered from
| one of unrestricted welcome to one of
| denial of privilege. We have passed
| our new immigration law to retain
| our standards for ourselves, notwith-
/ standing the arrogation of others to
| share in it. even at loss to us, the
/ possessors. For the present our
| We cling to our abundance of land
| for the greater prosperity of our
| selves and our children, but we are
! now the most peaceably disposed ma
| ton on earth because the density of
! population is not yet great enough to
| give US land-hunger- and so we desire
nothing of other nations beyond good
| will and free commercial intercourse.
| But this complacent kindliness is no
4 rINor, Ioy- Of fT1a n
| We are not military people and
| have never been sufficiently fore
/ sighted adequately to prepare our
/ selves in peace for future war; but
! nevertheless we are both militant and
| sentimental. 1t is a dangerous, al
/ though not quarrelsome, tempera-
ment. If either our sympathies or our
| interests are adversely touched by a
i foreign power. we shall commit the
| country to war rather than sacrifice
sentiment. In 1898 the country chose
war for a sentiment when it might
| have had peace. 1t is the duty of any
| good government to be more far-see-
! ing than the masses it represents and
rules, but in democratic societies the
/ multitude will not permit it to exer-
| else wisdom.
| Sees Loss of Aitruism.
I'VE may expect, therefore. that as
our descendants fill up this land of
ours and existence becomes harder
/ they will lose some of the altruism
which the ease of our circumstances
allow us now to cultivate. Abun-
| dance of land and of natural resources
| is the founda tion OF our present mild
a nd peaceful outlook on the efforts of
! the rest of the world to better itself.
We cannot expect economic and me-
chanical improvements forever to keep
| in advance of the worlds rise in
population. AS our growing numbers
press more heavily on the means of
/ livelihood, our view of war as an in
| ternational struggle for national well
being will alter. This statement is
4 not to be understood as the express
sion either of advice or of wish. 1t
| is a prediction only, just as man
! looking out and saying 1T is going
| to rain does not utter a hope for rain
while yet foreseeing it.
"Our recent law checking immigra-
ton ought to please every pacifist in
| the country, because it retards the
| growth of population. and in so far 1t
| hinders the formation of an aggres-
sive spirit in our people. Instead the
pacifists are shrieking that by this
law we are sacrificing international
good will, and they refuse to perceive
that other nations ought to be willing
to meet us half way to secure our good
will. BY turning the cheek to the
smiter. as pacifists like to urge. we
earn contempt only, not good will. SO
by the time our population has dou-
bled, in two or three generations at
most, no doubt our national policy viii
be profoundly modified by the mere
fact of that increase.
/ "Tt is probable that IL our pros
| perity preserves our traits and those
of our ancestry, it will put aside Its
present amiHble policy and will arm
! to go out in the world to struggle
aggressively against other nations for
land and prosperity, subject only to
the ability of other nations to protect
! their own. Provided always that we
have not been struck down before
hand by some more ready people.
| There is vulgar parody on Shakes
peare's well known lines whose doc
trfne finds acceptance in many lands,
| even IL ours Is an exception
Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel
But four times he who puts his fist in
fust.
Whatever the future may have in
store, for the present we need to pro-
tect ourselves against the other fell
lows early fist.
Sacrifice of Independence"
.aTo join the League of Nations and
a world court exercising compulsory
powers would be to sacrifice our inde-
pendence, for we cannot expect such
international institutions to be free
from politics. AS for the World
Court, 1t is very doubtful if it proves
to be such an instrument as most