Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-06
CHAPTER XII.

On October 5, 1897, President
Roosevelt delivered his famous
quarantine speech" at Chicago.
Ever since his Inauguration, Mr.
Roosevelt had been struggling des-
perately to restore normal conditions
at home, with the result that he was
at times hampered in giving full at
tention to our foreign affairs.
For my part, I was becoming in
creasingly worried over the growth
of the isolationist sentiment in the
United States, as evidenced by the
activities of many peace organiza-
lions, by letters, petitions and public
opinion polls. I was also worried
over the effect this fact would have
on nations abroad.
In September, knowing that the
President contemplated an early trip
across the continent to the Pacific,
I conferred with Norman Davis and
expressed the strong opinion that
the President should make a speech
on international cooperation in the
course of his journey, particularly In
a large city where isolation was In
trenched.
Davis agreed with me. I then
took Davis with me to call on the
President, and we suggested this
idea to him. He readily concurred.
He said that If we would prepare
the necessary data for his speech
he would deliver it during his trip.
First Draft Prepared.
We returned to the State Depart
ment and prepared the address in
the form of q first draft. We did
not have the celebrated quarantine"
clause in our draft. The President
himself was responsible for this in
sertion as he was perfecting the
speech shortly before delivering 1t.
I did not know the phrase was there
until the President uttered 1t.
1.-THE peace, the freedom and the
security of 30 per cent of the pop
ulation of the world" said the Presi-
dent, els being jeopardized by the
remaining 10 per cent, who are
threatening breakdown of interna-
tional order and law. Surely the 80
per cent who want to live in peace
under law and in accordance with
moral standards that have received
almost universal acceptance through
the centuries, can and must find
way to make their will prevail.
1T seems to be unfortunately true
that the epidemic Of world law
lessness is spreading. When an cpl
demic Of physical disease starts to
spread, the community approves
and joins in q quarantine Of the
patients in order to protect the
health Of the community against
the spread of the disease"
The reaction against the quaran-
tine idea was quick and violent.
As I saw 1t, this had the effect
Of setting back for at least six
months our constant educational
campaign intended to create and
strengthen public opinion toward
international corporation.
Those Of us who had been carry
ing on this campaign, through
speeches, statements and actions
wherever possible, had been work
ing as actively rs we could; but
we were always careful not to 60
ttoo far lest serious setback by the
element throw us far
| ther back than w" were before.
+ Impeachment Threatened.
Six Of the major pacifist organiza-
lions issued q declaration that the
President points the American peo-
pie down the road that led to the
World War" The American Fed
Grafton Of Labor resolved: "Ameri-
can labor does not wish to be I'M
volved in European or Asiatic
wars" Two Representatives, Fish
and Tinkham, threatened to have
the President impeached.
All this reaction, Of course, re-
ceived wide publicity, and was dulcet
to the ears Of Hitler, Mussolini and
the Japanese war lords. 1t un-
doubtedly emboldened the aggressor
countries, and caused the democra-
cies of Europe to wonder II we could
ever be with them In more than
words. It was certainly followed by
the holder actions Of Japan, cul-
minating in the sinking Of the