Evening star., 1928-10-30

+ Government should be progressive
not reactionary. / am entirely unwill-
ing to accept the old order of things
as the best unless and until / become
convinced that 1t cannot be made bet
ter"
When I spoke these words I had
something in mind, something born oil
quarter of a. century of experience In
elective public service. During that
time found men elected to office who
were entirely satisfied with what I re-
ferred to as the old order of things, and
were entirely willing to accept the honor
and the glory of public Office, but who
were unwilling to devote their time
their ability and their energy into MAX
ing government more responsive and
more progressive. On the other hand
in my time have seen men elected to
public office who discharged their duties
with sincere desire for progress and
betterment.
The last quarter of a century has
seen the greatest material advance that
the world has probably ever witnessed
and a large part of the credit for 1t
belongs to modern and progressive busi-
ness ideas. The. Government alone
seems to be tagging in the march of
progress. It seems to be fastened down
to the Older order of things. AS boy
I heard of the stand-patter as one who
wanted nothing done, the man who was
entirely. satisfied with things as ne
found them. the man who followed the
line of least resistance.
d., -,5ses Foreign Policy.
There has been less improvement In
National Government in the last seven
and half years than in any similar
period during my public life In our
country Government Is the agency of
the people for making effective the
popular will. The man at the head of
The Government is the servant OF the
people to direct. and shape and execute
the policies that spring flom the viii
of the great majority.
In my speech of acceptance said
that any foreign policy must come
from the people themselves. I 60 a
step farther and say that the consut,i-
.tional requirement of a vote in the
Senate of two-thirds of that body for
the ratification of a treaty showed that
1t was the intent Of the franlefs of our
Constitution that treaies with foreign
powers must be approved by the over
whelming sentiment and wish of the
American people. It evidently was the
intent of the trainers of the Constitu-
ton that agreements between our
country and foreign nations be dis
tlngutshed from ordinary legislative
questions and be lifted out of the realm
OF partisan politics.
Since our experience in the recent
World War, unQuestionably the fathers
and mothers of this country desire
peaceful and friendly relationships with
every other nation. The man on the
street, nor accustomed to. the high
sounding phrases of international oiplo-
macy, desires to have the Government
apply the simple rule of do unto others
as you would have others do unto you.p
In my speech Of acceptance i ampli-
fed the declaration of principles con-
corning foreign relations set forth in the
Democratic platform, and, with elec-
ton day only one week off, have yet
from the Republican candidate or his
spokesmen.
Quotes Root on Relations.
It is extremely difficult to make
hard and fast rule with regard to our
relations with other countries. 1 have
often been prompted to. the belief that
the administration OF foreign affairs Is
largely based on, the personal equation,
the sincere desire to, be as Just and
fair to other nations as we would have
them be to us. Beyond that we must
have an administrati able to adhere
to such definite policy as. can be clearly
enut1ciated.. 81 know of no better policy.
so far as our Latin American relations
are concerned, than the one set forth
by Elihu Root, Republican Secretary
OF State, when he said:
I'VE consider that the independence
and equal rights of the smallest and
weakest member of the family of ma
tions deserve as much respect as those
OF the great empires. We pretend to
no right, privilege or power that we do
not freely concede to each one of the
American republics
That definite statement of policy, so
Tar as Latin America is concerned, un-
questionably received the widespread
approval Of the American peoples.
II you desire to know how far the Re-
publican party departed from that prin-
ciple and policy, ask Senator Borah,
for example, what he thinks of the for
eign policy of the present Republican
administration in SO far as 1t applies to
our Intervention in an election dispute
in Nicaragua.
I am satisfied that the protection of
life and property of American citizens
in all countries should be a matter of
national concern, but, on the other
hand, ] am satisfied that the American
people. win no longer tolerate interfer-
ence with the internal affairs Of the
South American republics.
End to Exploitation.
Under my administration there will
be no diplomacy practiced that will
permit the exploitation of weaker ma
tions. You cannot preach one doctrine
Of foreign relations in Europe and prac-
tice another doctrine in Latin America.
Believing as I do in the great broth
erhooc If man under the fatherhood of
God, j am satisfied that the American
people will always be ready and willing
to assume their fair share of respon-
sibility for the administration of the
world of which they are part without
political alliance with any foreign ma
tion In that belief / am prepared to
make real endeavor to make the out
lawry of war effective, by removing its
causes and to substitute the methods #
conciliatio11, conference, arbitration and
judicial determination.
The Republican party holds out but
little hope to the American people for a
forward-looking foreign policy, in view
of the fact that Mr. Hoover promises
to follow the Coolidge policies, which
policies have been uniformly--in sea-
son and out of ACKNOWLEDGMENT On
the floor of the Senate by the Republi-
can chairman of the committee on for
eign relations.
Only by executive leadership, con-
gressional cooperation and the sup
port of the people can we hope to deal
with the great questions that lie ahead
of US. Only by this method can We
hope to make the outlawry of war a
reality. Only then can we hope to
regain the confidence Of our neighbors
In Latin America Only then can we
hope to restore the Monroe Doctrine to
what it once was and always ought to
be--a mutual guarantee Of peace on this
hemisphere. Only by this method can
we hope to build up the use of arbi-
tration and Cancellation for the peace