Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1914-10-03
WAR IMPOSSIBLE
UNDER BRYAN'S PLAN
Peace Scheme Would Have Given
Europe a Year to "ThInk
II Over"

IL
Great Britain, France, Spain and
China had agreed to sign peace COM
MISSION treaties with the United
States has raised the interesting
question at Washington. What would
nave happened had the peace plan
of William Jennings Bryan, secretary
OF state, been put into fleet by the
warning nations? According to friends
OF Mr.. Bryan, the answer to the Dues
ton Is Nothing" In other words,
declare these gentlemen, the present
great conflict across the water might
nave been avoided, had the plan of
the American secretary been given
an opportunity to show what it could
do.
questioned with reference to the
matter, .Mr. Bryan smiled and elected
not to discuss what might have
BEEN aspect OF the case. 1t safely
may be asserted, however, that the
secretary Of state feels confident that
his peace plan would have prevented
the struggle now raging, and spared
the thousands upon thousands of
lives already shifted out at the very
outset Of the war.
A man close to Mr.. BRYAN. and
familiar with his ideas and his plan,
said:
Ihere can be no doubt that the
present great war will show more con
clus1vely than ever the necessity for
such plan as that suggested by the
secretary of state. There can be no
doubt that, If Mr.. Bryans plan had
been followed. there would TO-DAY be
no newspaper headlines telling in big.
black capitals fresh details Of the
toll OF death at the scene Of conflict.
The year provided for Investigation in
thep Ian would have been ample for
passions to cool and for the cues
lions OF fact to be separated from the
questions Of honor and the result
weighed.
What the Plan Is.
The scheme for the preservation
OF peace Is simple, and in that, per
haps, lies much Of it's strength. II
works out, as you know, in this way:
First, diplomacy is to be used. When
that has been exhausted without an
agreement having been reached and
this includes the taking Of the dis
pute to The Hague and the posi-
bility OF even that failing), an inter
national commission takes hold. The
commission suggested must be in ex
1stence prior to the outbreak Of the
trouble, according to the terms O.
the plan
THAT body then investigates for {
year and makes a report to the re
spective governments, who either &C
cept or reject the conclusions Of the
investigators. The strong point there
Is. Of course, that the nations will
have had full year to think things
over, and the chances of warfare are
decreased appreciably-so much, In
fact, that in majority Of cases they
would be negligible
Speaking Of his plan, Mr.. Bryan
frequently has said in illustrations:
when man is mad he talks
about what he can do. When he has
thought things over for a while he
becomes aware Of what he ought to
do-and usually does it."
Applying Mr.. Bryan's plan directly
to the European war, one NAV GO
back to the very beginning when the
dispute involved only Austria and
Servia. Austria made certain demands
on Servia which that nation accepted
excepting only the insstence that an
Austrian sit upon the commission ap.
pointed to investigate the assassina-
ton of the archduke. That said Ser
via, with dignity, would hurt the
honor or the nation In which con.