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ROOSEVELT THE PEACE. MAKER.
Daily Press 13th June.)
Thers bag paghapa, being incident of the current war more mentally stimulative than the interposition of President RoOSEVELT to bring it to an end. Whichever way it be considered, from whatever point viewed, there is something historically singular, something prophetically suggestive, and of course—a good deal that is immediately satisfactory, to be noted. The monarchs of the two warring nations could not have been more typical of the past and of the passing; and no ruler could be selected from the world's existing collection more emblematic of the fleeting present and the hastening future. The Tax is probably the last important monarch to figure as a genuine Autocrat. The MIXADO, to retain the most familiar description, is certainly an admirable figure for that divinity which hedges kings, for not only is there no ques- tion of his divine right," but many or most of his subjects regard him a rightly divine. What these two aristocrats privately think of a mere Republican President who presumes to offer them good advice, we can only conjecture. They would never even whisper their criticism, supposing it to take that feudal form, for they well know that the day for ignoring elected rulers is gone by. President ROOSEVELT is as big a man as either of them, for it may be said without too much exaggeration that he is "first in the hearts of a hundred million free and independent, brainy people. He was elected first citizen of the great republic without having to make any hard and fast promises of any kind. His present anxiety to arrange a lasting peace is no mere emotionalism. His own words to Congress are worth repeating:
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Tyrants and oppressors have many times made a wilderness and called it peace. Many times peoples who were slothful or tired or short-sighted, who had been /enervated by ease or luxury, or misled by false teachings, have shrunk in unmanly fashion from doing duty that was stern and that needed self-sacrifice, and have sought to hide from their own minds their short- comings, their ignoble motives, by calling them love of peace." The
of peace tyrannous terror, the peace of injustice all these should be shunned as we shun unrighteous war." Colonel Roo8EVELT is no namby-pamby milksop, ignorant and so afraid of the smell of blood. His experiences with his Rough Riders inˆ Cuba. alone relieve him of any uch suspicion. But it is those who best know what war really means who are most opposed to wasting it. War is a bad habit like strong language, and should be used only under stress. President ROOSEVELT has recognised for some time that the con- tinuance of the present war can serve no
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real purpose, can decide nothing that is not already decided; and the whole civilised world, realising the delicate nature of his present task, is wishing him success while it marvels at his persistent boldness. For though the peacemaker is theoretically blessed, he is liable to be unappreciated here below. The beaten side, if it happens to have an inflated prestige at stake, resents any suggestion that it should admit its need of truce: the top dog, just tasting the first keen and natural delights of the worry, is apt to snart at the hand that would draw it of One advantage of a third party helping to arrange peace would seem to be the implied responsibility of seeing that the terms are subsequently observed between Russia and Japan, there could hardly be discovered
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
a more disinterested arbitrator than the virtual empire that has Roosïvelt as its chosen head
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“OBSTACLES TO PEACE.
[June 17, 1905.
to exhibit them, and for twenty four hours peass seemed to haşe been arrived at. negt day any hopes of his thamëvements of në pica) machine am the Rassad been extinguished In Count mind. To use a familiar expression, came back from his visit to the palace with
(Daily Press, 14th June.) That the principal nations of the world,
"fles in his, ear." The absence of a and more especially the United States, treaty making power is, in fact, one of the should in the present juncture desire peace peculiarities of the Rassian administration: goes without saying; that the two nations nominally, as in countries where the science who have embarked on war should from of government is further advanced, the personal reasons have other actuating motives Foreign Minister is entrusted with the is also incontrovertible. In the first instance making of treaties; but he is only one the war presents an entirely different amongst many, and each department holds aspect as we view it from Russia's or itself competent to interpret socording to. Japan's point of view. To the one it seems its own views, or even to ignore the agree- an uncalled for attempt to block the naturalment made by its colleague. The lesson advance of Russia in the fulfilment of a thua rudely brought home to the Minister destiny forced upon her by natural causes; had probably been anticipated by the Japan and as such almost a flying in the face of ese Government, which the next day directed Providence: to Japan it looked but as the its minister to withdraw. last act of a wanton game of aggression, to be followed in case of success by the absorp tion of herself, and the extinction of Japan as a nation. For three centuries Russia has advanced eastward almost without a check; and this advance has been looked upon, if not altogether with complacency, in the majority of cases without any display of jealousy on the part of the continental Powers of Europe. Russia, they informed us, had undertaken to carry the blessings of civilisation into the darker parts of Asia, and the condition of Central Asia under Russian control was contrasted with its former state of misrule under the native khans. Such was, of course, the outward form of expression. Inwardly the feeling of satisfaction proceeded from far less dis interested motives: the great German Powers were not displeased to see their big neigh- bour busily engaged turning her armis east- ward: sach state absorbed seemed to them A sop to CERBERUS; it certainly afforded them a temporary respit, and for the rest they were willing to wait on the turn of events. Russia only partially understood this position; her own self-confidence led her to appropriate to herself the marks of approval, and one or two of her Tears were quite willing to take the unction to them- selves, and parade the growing greed for territory as in itself a holy act, undertaken for the glory of GoD, and the benefit of His Church.
Nor can it be said that subsequent events have at all tended to alter the condition: the same principles of divided councils have been paramount throughout the subsequent war. Admiral Alazinpr, invested by the TSA with powers, for an example of which we have to go back to the times of thể Persian King DARIUS, has been all through jealous of the interference of the War Department; the various officers appointed by the Toan have each been jealous of the other, with the result that each has been bour's wheel than to win success for his more anxious to put a spoke in his neigh- country. Russia, in fact has been like the image seen by NaaUCHADNEZZOZ; its head was gold, its breast and arms as silver, its body and thighs of gold. Unfortunately for itself, its feet were of iron, but iron mixed with potter's clay. To the nations it made a brilliant show; as “iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things," so was it Bussia's manifest destiny to rule all Asia. But a stone which men little suspected fell on the feet in their victorioas progress, and broke them in pieces; and as the toes of the feet. were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom was partly strong, and partly dis cordant, and it "could not cleave together, even as iron cannot mix with clay."
Such in brief might be the history of Russia since she has yielded herself to the demon of earth hunger. Strong to all out- ward appearance, ber foundations have been Such conditions did not lend them but iron mingled with rotteu clay. Even selves to the formation of any common in the height of her prosperity, the effects ground wherein negotiation would
be of divided councils were making themselves possible, and subsequent experience in-
apparent to the attentive observer, but creased rather than diminished the difficulty, when the stone fell and her feet were On the 5th February last year, it may broken, the inherent weakness of the image be remembered, Mr. KURINO, Japanese could no longer be concealed. It is not Minister at St. Petersburg delivered certain that Russia is weak: the head of gold and proposals from his Government to Count the sinews of iron are still there. The fatal LAMSDORFF, the Russian Minister for For-error is that the iron muscles have nothing eign Affairs, and, therefore, presumably stronger to work on than the toes of mud. responsible and competent to authoritatively It is the curse of Russia that the weakness make arrangements binding on the state. is fundamental, the entire genius of the The result was the drawing up of a pro-state has no better foundation than disunion: gramme between the two, mutually satis- and rests on the division of interesta, and factory, which would have had the result of the contention of classes. Other nations rendering unnecessary the appeal to arms have met with disasters more serious; and - - then impending. The document needed, so have pulled themselves together in the hour Count LAMSDORFF said to the minister, only of trouble; like the Lernaean Hydra the the formal sanction of the Tsan. Whether loss of one head has been succeeded by the Count LAKSDORF was sincere in his desire growth of two, but Busfia contains within to avoid war, or only intriguing. to still herself no such principle of unity, and this further prolong negotiations already become has doubtless been one of the maia masOKI wearisome, does not appear, but the prob of her notorious incapacity to keep her ability is that the Russian Minister was apparently most solemn engagements. really since and believed that the crisis was finally ended. Whatever may have been the doubts of the Japanese as to the power of a Russian minister to bind his country, it was not at the moment prudent
Another, but perhaps the last pressing, reason for Russia's squeamishness” shotsta entering into negotiations with Japan is the natural dislike of a hitherto unchecked nation to openly coufees herself beaten by
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