America and the World War (Intermediate-Advanced level)

Extract by Theodore Roosevelt

Treaties must never be recklessly made; improper treaties should be repudiated long before the need for action under them arises; and all treaties not thus repudiated in advance should be scrupulously kept.

From the international standpoint the essential thing to do is effectively to put the combined power of civilization back of the collective purpose of civilization to secure justice. This can be achieved only by a world league for the peace of righteousness, which would guarantee to enforce by the combined strength of all the nations the decrees of a competent and impartial court against any recalcitrant and offending nation. Only in this way will treaties become serious documents.

KEY WORDS:

1.     Recalcitrant

2.     Repudiate

3.     Scrupulously

4.     Treaty

5.     Improper

6.     Impartial

7.     Effectively

8.     Civilization

9.     Collective

10.                        Righteousness