Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-11-24


short time ago that Secretary Bry-
an had received pay for making
speeches in Iowa during the recent
campaign. The democratic state
chairman has denied the charge. 1t
is not likely that anybody believed
, that Mr.. Bryan accepted money for
his services, but the denial of the
, democratic chairman carries no
weight. In view of the effect of
Bryans speeches it is reasonable to
believe that if he received pay for
them he received it from the repub-
lican committee.
Finally and after a long time the
federal reserve banks in the twelve
districts of the United States are in
operation. They are located at Chi
cago, Boston, Philadelphia, New
York, Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta,
St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City,
Dallas and San Francisco. Just
how much of the expected benefits
from the new system will be realiz-
cd is only matter of conjecture.
We are all hoping, however, that
the new plan may vindicate itself
and prove to be for the general good
of the country.
There is no cause for the United
States to become unduly excited ov-
err what may happen to this coun-
| try in the event of Germany win
ming or in the event of the success
of the allies in the great war now
convulsing Europe. No matter
what Germany or the other nations
may want to do or will do when
they can, they will be in no condi-
ton to do anything that will threat
en- the peace of the United States for
many years to come. We can pur-
sue the waiting policy just now to
good advantage. When the war is
over our future relations with the
victor may be more easily forecast
ed. If it shall then appear that the
United States may be called upon to
enforce the Monroe doctrine by
force of arms ample preparations
can be made long before the neces-
sity for the exercise of such force
arises. The countries of Europe
and Japan too, will be in no condi-
ton to meet strong foe for many
years to come.
The Monroe doctrine is just now
coming in for considerable discus
sion and it's intent and purposes
are misunderstood by many people
1t is not the province of the Monroe
dotrine to protect nations Of the
western hemisphere from paying
penalties for their own acts. There
is nothing in that dotrine that re-
Quires Uncle Sam to protect any
country from the navy or army OF
any other country. 1t was not many
years ago that Venezuela resisted
certain claims made by some Euro
pean powers-Germany, England
and Italy-as the Freeman-Tribune
remembers it. Those nations sent
over some battleships and blockaded
the Venezuelan ports. Of course
some of the hySterlcal people IN TINS
country thought the Monroe doc
trine was being ignored and Presi-
dent Roosevelt was denounced for
not playing the part of a lingo and
ordering the European powers back
home. But Roosevelt was generally
right when president and he was
quick to reach a decision. He main
tanned the ground that the Monroe
dotrine was not intended to protect
American states or territories from
Just responsibility for their own acts
and that they must observe the US
ual courtesies in business and civil
ization, but he declared that it was
understood that the United States
would not quietly submit to the oc-