Although  this  country  is  not  one  of
the  signatories  to  the  two  long  stand-
ing treaties  which  guarantee  Bel-
gium's neutrality,  the  ex-president  is
of  the  opinion  that  our  participation


in  The  Hague  conventions  obligates
us  to  take  cognizance  of  any  infrac-
tion of  those  stipulations.  It  is  on
this  ground  that  he  declares  the
present  administration  has  failed  in
its  duty.
The  United  States  is  called  upon  as
a  "trustee  of  civilization,"  Mr  Roose-
velt thinks,  to  investigate  all  the
charges  made  against  Germany.  "If
such  an  investigation  is  made,"  he
writes,  "and  if  the  charges, prove  well
founded,  then  it  is  the  duty  of  the
United  States  to  take  whatever  action
may  be  necessary  to  vindicate  the
principles  of  international  law  set
forth  in  these  [The  Hague]  conven-
tions."

This  is  vague,  though  forceful.
Apparently,  it  points  down  the  red
pathway  of  war.
While  Mr.  Roosevelt  is  crying  out
for  direct  interference  by  the  United
States  in  European  affairs,  it  is  in-
teresting to  discover  how  far  peace
advocates  will  allow  themselves  to
go  in  the  other  direction.  Writing
in  the  current  number  of  the  North
American  Review,  Prof.  Phelps  of
Yale  shows  how  easy  it  is  for  well
meaning  persons  to  become  extrem-
ists in  their  enthusiasm  for  a  cause.
In  the  course  of  his  appeal  for  peace
Prof.  Phelps  exclaims:  "Would  it  not
be  fine  in  the  future  if  the  United
States  of  America  should  make  some
actual  sacrifice  to  prevent  war?
Would  it  not  be  splendid  if  we  actu-
ally sustained  insults  and  material
damage  from  some  other  country  and
did  not  fight?"


MEETING  A  NEIGHBOR  AS  A  COMPETITOR


55


LIBERALS  PLEAD  FOR  CO-
OPERATION.
Leaders     Object     to     British    Policy

Wliich      Preceded     the    Present

War  Encouraged   by   Great

Britain.
