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Show seeking a declaration of peace, an agreement to place war as far in the background as possible. That is as far as sound American diplomacy can go and ought to go at this period in the development of world politics. Such an agreement, of course, will not make war impossible nothing can do that but it will at least make the re sort to arms much more improbable and decidedy unpopular except as a last resort. If an agreement of this kind can be perfected, the United States will have done more than it could have possibly done by membership in the League of Nations and will have performed this duty without with-out obligating the nation to take part in the world's quarrels and to run the danger that would come through involvement in purely European politics. For it is just as important to avoid entangling obligations as it was following the close of theWorld War. This policy of no permanent per-manent and specific alliances is as old as the nation. Washington ex- j pounded it and it has been followed ever since. As Grover Cleve-1 lnd put it: "The genius of our institutions, the needs of our people in their home life, and the attention that is demanded for the settlement and the development of the vast resources of our country, dictate the scrupulous avoidance of any departure from that foreign policy commended by the history, the traditions and the prosperity of our republic. It is the policy of independence, favored by our position and defended by our known love of justice and by our own power. It is the policy of peace suitable to our own interests. It is the policy of neutrality, rejecting any share in foreign broils and ambitions in other continents and repelling their intrusion here. It is the policy of Monroe and of Washington and of Jefferson 'Peace, commerce and honest friendship wjith all nations; entangling alliance wieh none.' OUR INTERNATIONAL POLICY In seeking an agreement with the leading powers of the world for the abolition of war as an instrument of national policy, Secretary Kellogg is acting in line with Americn traditions- He is not proposing pro-posing a super government to regulate the conduct of the world and punish those who disagree with the controling authority. He is |