Evening star., 1936-08-15
Text of RooseVelt's Chautauqua Speech
President Reteraes Good Neghbor Policy and Denounces
Makers of War and Breakers CT Pledges in Appeal for Peace
Ev the Associated Press.

As many Of you who are here to-
night know, I formed the excellent
habit of coming to Chautauqua more
than 20 years ago. After my inaugu-
ration in 1898, 1 promised Mr.. Bestor
that during the next four years
would come to Chautauqua again; it
is in fulfillment of this that I am
with you tonight.
A few days ago I was asked what
the subject of this talk would be:
and 1 replied that for two good
reasons I wanted to discuss the sub
ject of peace; first, because 1t is
eminently appropriate in Chautauqua
and, secondly, because in the hurly-
burly of domestic politics 1t Is i'm
portant that our people should not
overlook problems and issues which,
though they lie beyond our borders,
may, and probably will. have vital
influence on the United States of the
future.
Many who have visited me In WASH
ington in the past few months may
have been surprised when I have told
them that personally and because OF
my own daily contacts with all man
ner of difficult situations I am more
concerned and less cheerful about in
ternational world conditions than
about our immediate domestic pros
poets.
Hopes for New Tide Of Peace.
I say this to you not as con-
firmed pessimist but as one who still
hopes that envy, hatred and malice
among nations have reached their
peak and will be succeeded by new
tide of peace and good will say
this as one who has participated in
many of the decisions of peace and
war before, during and after the
World War, one who has Travelled
much and one who has spent a goodly
portion of every "a hours in the
study of foreign relations.
Long before I returned to Wash
ington as President of the United
States I had made up my mind that
pending what might be called more
opportune moment on other conti-
nents the United States could best
serve the cause of peaceful humanity
by setting an example That was why
on March 4. 1893, I made the follow
ing declaration:
In the field of world policy I
would dedicate this Nation to the
policy Of the good neighbor-the
neighbor who resolutely respects him.
self and because he does so re-
spects the rights of others-the neigh
bor who respects his obligations and
respects the sanctity of his agree
ments in and with a world of neigh
bors."
We Seek no Conquest.
This declaration represents my pur-
! pose; but it represents more than a
purpose, for it stands for a practice.
! To a measurable degree it has sue
/ ceeded; the whole world now knows
| that the United States cherishes no
| predatory ambitions. We are strong;
but less powerful nations know that
| they need not fear our strength. We
seek no conquests; we stand for peace.
In the whole of the Western Hemis-
phere our good neighbor policy has
produced results that are especially
heartening.
The noblest monument to peace and
to neighborly economic and social
friendship in all the world is not q
monument in bronze or stone, but the
| boundary which uniteS the United
States and Canada-3,000 miles Of
friendship with no barbed wire. no
gun or soldier, and no passport on the
whole frontier.
Mutual trust made that frontier
to extend the same sort of mutual
trust throughout the Americas was
our aim.
The American Republics to the
south of us have been ready always
to cooperate with the United States
on a basis of equality and mutual
respect. but before we inaugurated the
good neighbor policy there was among
them resentment and fear. because
certain administrations in Washing
ton had sighted their national pride
and their sovereign rights.
In pursuance of the good-neighbor
policy. and because in my younger
days I had learned many lessons in
the hard school of experience, stated
that the United States was opposed
definitely to armed Intervention.
Abandon Platt Amendment.
We have negotiated pan-Ameri-
can convention embodying the prin-
ciple of non-intervention. We have
abandoned the PIatt amendment
which gave us the right to intervene
in the internal affairs of the Republic
of Cuba. We have withdrawn Ameri-
can Marines from Haiti. We have
signed a new treaty which places our
relations with Panama on a mutually
satisfactory basis. We have UNDER
with other American countries to our
mutual commercial profit. At the
request of two neighboring republics,
hope to give assistance in the final
settlement of the last serious bounds
ry dispute between any of the Ameri-
can nations.
Throughout the Americas the spirit
VI tilC SOOd HClSllUOt ID q RidCbtNdl
and living fact. The 81 American
republics are not only living together
in friendship and peace; they are
united in the determination so to re-
main.
To give substance to this determine
tion a conference will meet on De-
cember l, 1896, at the capitol of our
great southern neighbor, Argentina,
and it Is, I know, the hope Of all
chiefs of state of the Americas that
this will result in measures which
will Danish wars forever from this vast
portion of the earth.
Peace. like charity, begins at home;
that is why we have begun at home.
But peace in the Western World is
not all that we seek.
1t is our hope that knowledge of the
practical application of the good
neighbor policy in this hemisphere
will be borne home to our neighbors
across the seas.
For ourselves we are on good terms
with them-terms in most cases of