Page:William Howard Taft - America Can't Quit (1919).djvu/27

 I shall not propose to deny; I am not here as a vendor of quack medicines, with sure-cures; I do not think that appeals to the confidence of people; certainly not to lawyers. I feel in that respect, if I may use a somewhat undignified illustration, as in the case of the announcements of the hair elixir in which I have considerable interest these days, which terminates—after describing the glossy, curly result that will come from its application—"but it must be noted that we do not guarantee to cure a shiny, bald head."

Proponents of this League do not guarantee the abolition of war, but they say it will work in most cases and that if it does, the enormous value of the result justifies the sharing of the burdens with other nations of the obligations needed to bring it about.

The fourth great step forward is open diplomacy. Heretofore many important treaties have been secret, especially those of offensive and defensive character promising war. Now they are all to be open. Now they are to be-spread in the secretariat of the League, just as the deeds of titles to land in the community are filed in the Recorder's office. So when you go to deal with a nation, you can go to the secretariat of the League and find all the obligations that are binding against that nation. In the past, these secret treaties have led to difficulties and often to war. The Triple Alliance was a secret treaty; the Entente between France and Russia was a secret treaty; this London Pact over which they are having such a fuss in respect to Fiume and the Dalmatian coast was a secret treaty. Now all that is to be abolished. Every one is to be "in on the ground floor." Straightforwardness is to be introduced into diplomacy. We are to play the game of diplomacy with the cards face up on the table.

That makes the four great steps. Now, my friends, here they are:

First:—The reduction of armament to such a point that everything will be defensive instead of offensive.

Second:—The guaranty against stealing and territorial independence, backed up by the pressure, economic and military, of the world.

Third:—The settling of differences peaceably. The reconciliation of parties and their mediation and the explanation of their issues, to draw down the public opinion of the world.

Fourth:—Then, open diplomacy.

With these four great steps, we have every reason to hope that war will be pushed into remoteness. United—they make the greatest step for-