Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 5.djvu/539

Rh blessing to mankind. So far the American people have enjoyed the inestimable privilege of being exempt from the curse of an increasingly burdensome militarism. They were proud, and had good reason for being proud, not of possessing great and costly armaments, but of not needing any. The Czar's plea is for disarmament. It virtually declares the bankruptcy of militarism. And at this moment you call upon the American people, the only great nation that has so far enjoyed substantially unarmed peace, to adopt a policy which will oblige it to maintain great armies and navies, and thus to put upon its own back the very burden against which the Czar's solemn warning is directed.

What would be the consequence if your wish were fulfilled? An increase of European armaments to offset or outdo the increase of American armaments; and then another increase of American armaments to offset or outdo European armaments, and so on in short an in definite aggravation of the very evil to which the Czar admonishes the world to put an end. This is not the kind of peace policy which, as a faithful citizen of this Republic and as one who wishes to further human civilization, I can advise the American people to adopt. 



&emsp; I have just received from Mr. McAneny a report on the interview you granted to the committee of the Saratoga conference, on which I beg leave to submit to you a few observations.

A majority of that conference were really not in favor of any annexations, but wished this Republic to use this opportunity for exerting civilizing influences upon the populations of the conquered territories, and for opening