OCR Text |
Show THEODORE ROOSEVELT ON HYPOCRISY Continued from page 1. Repudiations of Agreement. "MoreouT tliu attitude wo are now taking ns regards the arbitration of the Russian treaty shows beyond possibility possi-bility of doubt that If we were so foolish fool-ish or so timid ns to agree, as an abstract ab-stract matter, by general arbitration treaties, to arbitrate such question we should Instantly repudiate; tho agreement agree-ment whenever a concrete case arose In which any considerable number ol our citizens took! an active Interest, Under such circumstances, to proceed with tho latlflcntlon oT the geiicral nrbltratluu U out lew unamended would not mere!) bu u - farce, but n farce played at the cxpnuso of our reputation reputa-tion for national good faith uud sin-corelty. sin-corelty. I believe most earnestly in peace, and In taking any step for arbitration ar-bitration which will genuinely tell In favor of peace, ami I oppose theso treaties, because t unamended, they would t.-ll against pence and would put us as a mitlou In nu attitude of unctuous nnd odious hypocrisy. Roth tho I.odgo and Hoot amendments should bo adopX4Llhu treaties would then cense to bo detrimental to our national na-tional honor nild Interest, and (holding In vlow tho abrogation of tho Russian treaty), would bo relieved from the present tnlnt of ovident Inslncerelty although oven they would represent a very smnll ndvnnce over our present position. "It Is posslblo with slncerelty and patriotism to favor tho arbitration treaties although I personally disagree with this view. It is possible that slncerelty and patriotism to oppose tho arbitration treaties. Hut It Is neither sincere nor patriotic to mnke bellevo to support the principle of arbitration ar-bitration In general and to try nnd g.c' the country to commit Itself to this principle and at the same time to connive con-nive hi the lepudlatliin by this couu try of the principle so loudly advocnt-d, advocnt-d, the very Mrst moment that it Is possible to reduo that principle to practice. In othor wordi, It will put this country In to a position both ridiculous rid-iculous and discreditable to pass tho ptopo-pd geni'ial arbitration trentios at ibe same nmr th'it o denounce our general n, iiy- with Russia. Action of House. "The other day tho lower house with but one i.isBenting ote, passed UiaimMlimiflMiMW, i.mr"nn ranr a resolution Jn favor o( the abrogation abroga-tion of the treaty". AnioVig thoso who-voted who-voted for thSvmbtlon ,ur many men who nro ngalnst thi unamended arbitration arbit-ration treaties. These -mon occupy n slnceie and, consistent' position; it Is the position with which I pirnohnl-ly pirnohnl-ly agree. Tho ono dissenting voto wus enst by a gentleman who announced that he wns in fnvot of tho genera) arbitration treaties nnd therefor.) could not consistently tnlo n position wholly Incompatible with favoring them. Although I do not agree with this gentleman, 1 feel that Ills position posi-tion showed both courago and winter-Ity. winter-Ity. Hut surely all men who think clearly must unqualifiedly condemn nny man who ndvocntes tho pcnoral arbitration trentles without at the same tlmo fearlessly showing his sin cerlty by denouncing tho proposal to abrogate tho Russian trenty without submitting Its Interpretation to niblra tlon. Tho senate by voto has Jolnod In abrogating tho Russian treaty and therefore, It will act In a way to cast upon tho United States, If it approves tho arbitration treaties unamended. At tho recent Now York peace meeting meet-ing In fnvor of tho treaties (which ended in a riot) it was not crodlUblo to the speaker for tlipso treaties that they did not venture to declaro themselves on the ono practical issue, is-sue, of the kind the trentles nro ox-pectod ox-pectod to settle, which was actually before the people thnt Is, the matter of the abrogation of tho Russian trca-ty trca-ty without effort to got It nuthorttlvo-ly nuthorttlvo-ly Interpreted. "II cannot bo too often repeated thnt these general arbitration trcot'es are nothing whatever but ?onoral promises. Their valuo lies wholly in the sincerity with which the promise is made, nnd the fullness with which tho promise Is redeemed. 1 do not believe be-lieve In making these promises, because be-cause I think that wo nro promising loo much, nnd because, morover, I fully bellevo that, as our action in abrogating tho Russian treaty Is equivalent to open nnd cynical confession con-fession that, as a pcoplo wo do not Intend In-tend to keep our promises, that wo hnvo no regard for tho good faith or tho nation, tlpit wo aro willing to mnke Impioperly sweeplug promises to jilise one set of men nnd nt the same time scandalously to break these promises to please another set of men. "Theso treaties nro drawn In such sweeping and vaguo geliernl terms, especially In tho uso of the word 'Jus- tlcablo,' that thoy might in any tosH eret cnset bo held to .mean anythbtH or nothing, and to encourage Just lit I kind of double dealing nnd bad fatal -Which Is now being shown. Ono ihlntH Is certnln; if tho quostlon of the In I terietatlon of a treaty is tot 'Jtntivl-H able,' then thero never can nny quee-l lion urise which Is pustlcable. If tbel action taken In abrogating the Rug I slaa trenty Is not utter .vnd comploU I violation of ths wholo spirit and pur I ylos. of the proposed nrbltratloi 1 treaties then thelntter nre not worth f tho paper on which they mo written 1 believe thnt we nre light In Abrogating Abro-gating tho Russian treaty,' Just bo cause I also bellevo thD tho general ', arbitration trentles nro not worth tho paper on which they are written. Not Hypocrlty. "Tho point upon whlc'i . Insist !g that this nntion should behnvo .vlth out hypocrisy nnd with sttalgh'fo' ward sincerity in Its into national re lntlons; thnt It should not lio, nor make promises which Jt would not keep. I do not question tho honest) and sincerity of the many good people who, without sufficient though; and Ir. response to a vnguo general Fcntimcmt In fnvor of both penco nnd justice i which falls that sometimes peace car, i be obtained only nt the oxpenso of Justice, havo advocated both tho unt voraal arbitration trentlet and thr abrogation of tho Russian treaty. But when the nation, through Its govern ment, nets, it cannot pletd tho excuse of lack of thought. If, as people, Our action Is insincere nnd lacking in straightforwardness, then, when this action has been officially taken, wc cannot nvoid tho chnrgo of hypocrisy when lator wo fall to iI,-q up to our promises. "It Is nrrant hypocrisy for this nation' na-tion' to suport tho unamend-! 1 arbitration arbit-ration treaties nt tho ;vimo t mo that wo ubrogntc tho Russian Iroaty, and to do so Is to put this nation In a thoroughly false and dlscred.tnble attitude. at-titude. Hypocrisy Is ns revolting hi n nation ns in a man; nnd, in the Ibng run, I do not believe It pays eltrior mnn or nation." o |