The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-08-31
NATION not TO BE
INVOLVED IN WAR
Congress Using Every Effort to Avoid
Worldwide Trouble--Precautions
Taken Not to Enter Quarrel.
GOVERNMENT STEAMSHIP LINE
South America Neglected by United
States as a Market-May Organize
Citizens Stock Company.
BY Congressman G. H. Tavenner.


Washington, August keep
the United States from being in
volved in the terrible world wide
war;"
This is the appeal that is being
made to. the members of Congress
from every part of the United States.
l have personally received no less
than one hundred letters to this
effect from citizens Of the Four
teenth Illinois district. Practically
every member Of Congress reports
the same experience. Men who sell
dom, if ever, write to their repre-
sentatives at Washington are so
anxious that this government take
every precaution to avoid entangle-
ment in the war whirlpool that they
are breaking their custom and ep-
pealing to their representatives to
use the utmost vigilance to the end
that this nation remain at peace
with the world.
This is because the reports of the
awful massacres in Europe have
stirred the people to a realization
Of the horrors of war; the people
do not want war, they not only re-
quest, but they demand of their
representatives in Washington that
this nation shall not become in
vOlved in war.
Members of Congress feel the same
way the people feel on this subject,
unless it. be that they are even more
resolvedssthat war shall not come to
us. Only conditions over which the
United States has, no control what
ever could draw us into quarrel.
The people can trust Congress on
this question, and they can trust
the man in the White House. Lest
we forget, it was to preserve our
honor-and peace-with the nations
Of the world that Woodrow Wilson
requested Congress to pass bill re-
=, pealings4th the free tolls clause of he
Panama Canal Act
Government Steamship Line
That South American business is
of sufficient Importance to justify a
government owned line of steamers
is self-evident During the year
ending June 30, 1914, the commerce
of the United States with South
America amounted to $347, 100000.
Imports from South America
amounted to $223,OOO,ooO, of which
nearly half were from Brazil, fifth
from Argentine Republic and the
rest from Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
and Peru.
That the United States has neg
lected South America as a market
is shown by the fact that only about
IA per cent Of the South American
import trade come from the United
States. There is a trade of $685.
900, 900, mostly manufacturers,
which this country may just as we'll
have without any danger of violat-
ing neutrality laws. All that is
needed is a quickly-organized gov
ernment-owned fleet of ships.
Those who are particularly inter-
ested in South America as a field for
American exports will find valuable
information in recent publication
of the Bureau of Foreign and Do
nestle Commerce, department of
Commerce, special agents series, No.
81, to be had from the public print
err for twenty-five cents.
Anybody with a hundred dollars
to spare may become a stakeholder
in Uncle Sans steamship company
Assuming that congress passes this
bill in the form submitted, there are
to be hundred-dollar shares offered
to the general public. The govern
ment is to retain control of the cor.
poration by retaining 81 per cent OF
the corporation stock.