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Show THE ONLY WAY T3 PEACE. It Is out of all possibility to change the present trend. From the time of the Venezuelan message mes-sage of Grover Cleveland down to this hour of the famous Roosevelt expression, ex-pression, "Tread softly, but carry a big stick," the United States has been moving mov-ing forward ns a competitor for world power. The overwhelming indorsement extended ex-tended by the people of this country to the aggressive work and tendencies of our Government, indicate that no recession reces-sion is desired, and that our citizenship Is prepared to carry whatever burdens of finance or moral responsibility may come to uo in the great battle for supremacy. su-premacy. Our possession covers JS0 degrees of longitude. We stand on both sides of the Pacific as the one great impregnable im-pregnable civilized and civilizing power. To maintain this position honorably and efficiently, we must arm ourselves by land and saa. This will be costly, but tho American people have approved the cost. However incongruous It may have seemed to sentimentalists that President Roosevelt should speak for peace and act for war, there can be no doubt now that this practical Nation believed that his way was the best way. It will be no longer a pertinent argument argu-ment for men to say that our vast resources re-sources enable us to Instantly equip armies or to speedily construct navies. These must be in existence In the time of safety In order to meet and repel danger In the time of unsnfety. The vast empire of Russia In her struggle now against little Japan is an admonition admoni-tion to us, Russia's unreadiness has cost more In mere money and men than ample preparation would have cost; and, in addition, she has lost Irrecoverable Irrecover-able prestige In the world and may lose her dearest purposes of Munchurlan occupation oc-cupation and the opening of a way Into the southern seas. Regret as wo may the wastefulness of war or tho costliness of armament, the American people have Indorsed President Roosevelt's view that In these modern times of intelligence, things are steadily making for the provident peace of the world. The slaughter of Russians and Japanese, horrible no this slaughter has-been, can be endured; for after the conflict Is over, the nations will take steps toward the prevention of recurrence. re-currence. But no nation will bo powerful power-ful to this end which Is itself unarmed ) and unprepared. Tho real magnate among the powers Is the one which has thl guns and the ships to enforce respect. re-spect. As we have assumed the character, we must live up to It. All of this hemisphere Is In our custody, and we must have tho strength as well as the diplomacy to protect It. Our entrance Into tho other hemisphere has emphasized empha-sized tho necessity and multiplied the requirement It Is scarcely possible but that, after the present war between Russia and Japan shall have ended, the United States will begin to assort and enforce demands for abiding peace on that other side of the globe, where our colonies lie. Tho creation of magnificent armament Is necessary to procure disarmament In the world. The United States will be the first power In the work of procuring procur-ing peace and disarmament, and therefore there-fore It must be the best armed of all the nations. The American people voted at the ballot box on tho 8th of this month In favor of all the appropriations of money necessary to achieve that end. |