Evening star., 1933-12-29
peace by Peoples"

rightness reminiscent Of the Wilsonlan
tone, President Roosevelt thruSts boldly
at the influences at work to thwart the
ideal of peace on earth and good will
toward men.
Speaking last night at the woodrow
Wilson Foundation dinner, but with the
whole United States and the world at
large as his real audience, the President
declared without equivocation that
''blame for the danger to world peace
lies not in the world population, but in
the political leaders of that population >
And then, in an epigrammatic perora-
tion destined to live, Mr. Roosevelt de-
manded that from now on war by
governments shall be changed to peace
by peoples"
Naturally it was not meet for the
President of the United States, in utter
ing this sentiment, to submit a bill OF
specifications, but his meaning will not
be lost in those sections of Europe and
Asia to which he was addressing HIM
self. He calculates that at least ninety
per cent of the worlds whole population
are today content with their respective
territorial limits and are willing to
morrow" to reduce their armed forces
and renounce illicit expansion at the
expense of neighbors 'if everybody else
agrees to non-aggression and to arms
reduction"
President Roosevelt's appeal is for
resurgence of popular demand that
craftsmanship abandon argument, ex-
cuse, befogging amendment. even ridi-
cule," and move along lines truly re-
Elective of mankind's longing for peace.
He repeats his call for an end of ag-
gressive ornaments and registers undis-
guiSed impatience with those various
pleas in avoidance" which are impeding
disarmament progress.
Valid as is, no doubt, the Presidents
indictment that peoples are in advance
Of their governments In craving for
political foundations to insure peace, it
can safely be expected that almost
every government will advance the con-
tention that dictates Of security come
first, and that barring guarantees on
that score, it cannot conscientiously
weaken the elements Of seli-deiense.
That is especially the attitude of
France, which holds the balance Of
military power in Europe. And the
French consistently and persistently
maintain that as long as the United
States Is unwilling to participate in
schemes to guarantee security in Eu-
rope, a country with the interests at
stake which France has to safeguard
cannot risk any weakening of her sys-
tenn Of self-protection.
President Roosevelt dwelt eloQuently
on woodrow wilson's theme of com
prehension" as "the soil in which shall
grow all the fruits of friendship" The
day, regrettably, is not yet here when
all the world comprehends the sound
ness of the doctrine Mr.. Roosevelt lays
down. The process of education must
60 on. 1t will not and cannot speedily
accomplish its purpose. The most that
can be hoped for is that the spirit Of
Wilson which the present President re-
hvokes will progressively permeate
world political leadership until en-
hghtened self-interest, If no higher
motive, impels it to harken to mems
wish for a warless world.
While international peace is Mr..
Roosevelt's overshadowing theme, sight
will not be lost of his striking reference
to the relations among the Americas.
Reafirming the United States policy
OF opposition to armed intervention in
the affairs of the sister republics, Mr..
Roosevelt offers a new program in
asserting that the preservation of the
orderly processes of government" is the
Joint concern of whole continent In
which we are all neighbors"
The comprehension of that principle
throughout Latin America should once
for all acquit the United States of any
suspicion Of harboring "imperialistic"
designs in the Western Hemisphere.
The Presidents observations set up in
effect q Roosevelt doctrine that be-
comes a fitting corollary to its more
celebrated precursor, the Monroe Doc
trine. Cooperation. not imperialism.
Is the policy to which he commits the
United States