Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-08
Press Poll on Prohibiting
the Expectation Of Arms

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ID
states ranges Itself IN this matter we submitted TO
Thousand representative papers all sections the fol-
OWNS question DO you favor stopping by law the
expectation OF war materials to beliigerents?''
OF $40 replies 2H answer No." ls7 yes" ana
twonty-nine are noncommittaL Considering in q spe-
GA group the replies from cities of $4,000 in
habitants. we find the Noes" even more in the
majority. the vote standing IS 10 g. when we turn
to the cities and towns OF smaller population we find
opinion much evenly divided ie replies opposing
embargo legislation and 40 approving II.
Interesting and Illuminating comment in many
instances supplemented the Of the editors 10
our question. Thus the Chicago Tribune, seeing N
the expectation arms matter Of international
rather than internal politics. offers this striking sug
gestion; The allies treatment OF American shipping
is not what IL would be IT, for instance, Mr. Blaine
were in the State department The United States
government can and should the question Of
porting arms TO secure concessions to American
shippers and exporters"
Some papers, considering the problem simply from
commercial viewpoint in effect; 81 the beli
serents whatever they will for; business has
suffered enough already because Of the war; let's
take what compensation get" Others, again,
like the Toledo Blade would permit the expectation
OF food clothing and other supplies not directly used
tn Han-xiliing" but would prohibit the sale Of arms
ana ammunition" and the Oakland Enquirer thinks
we should export war materials unless needed at
home" TO the Spokane Chronicle, however. the
enactment Of an embargo law on war materials
would appear TO be the logical course for nation
that desires peace and neutrality" Other journals
ia the ranks OF those who favor embargo ere the
Tacoma News Los Angeles Times, Denver Express.
Wichita Beacon. Kansas City Post Memphis News
scinnitar, Illinois State Journal. Grand Rapids News.
Saginaw Valley News. Dayton News. Norfolk Ledger
Dispatch. Paterson Cali and Evening News, and the
Troy Record.
In Nebraska, with its large Oerrnan-Amerean
population, where the state senate has adopted a
resolution favoring an arms embargo the Omaha
WorldHerald Cwhose chief IL the United States
senator sponsoring the bIlD violently the
United States OF being practically the only highly
civflized neutral nation that reaping biood-oney
profit from the sale Of and ammunition TO the
countries that &C warl' II insists It is all mis-
take TO defend our policy on the ground that It is
sound commercially. for the building up Of great
factories for the manufacture OF arms and ammuni-
ton means that we win have them hands when
the war IL over-means that We win have Kruppism
OF our own" while 'the sale of their product to
destroy the property and take the lives OF peoples
with whom we are at peace must inevitably cause
resentments that win injurousy affect trade
commerce long after the Is ended" In another
GeFman-Ameriean region writer in the Milwaukee
Free Press says that mo hioodaas code OF rules OF
| law can change the fact that contributing
TO the destruction Of the life Of the German people
| and Of Austrian and German culture" And he goes
on to that. unless this country rise ito ths
fn stature Of its sovereign responsibilities by assert
Ing its right to place an embargo the shipment Of
arms It win I'm the future face the situation
that confronts those countries swept from the
commerce Of the by the superior power
| Great Britain" Among journals printed In German
we find Gcrmana, Milwaukee weekly, which pro-
fesses to express the attitude Of Americans Of Ger
man descent" arguing that IF the American press
had not been deceived by cable reports inspired by
the British government 'the American people would
not have INDUCED in such deporable partisanship"
and II return to true neutrality by refusing
TO supply OF the warning nations with weapons"
The embargo measure IL assigned TO- make Auieri-
can neutrality less one-sided and seIsiceable 70
England Is an observation Of the Cleveland wachter
und Anseiger, and in like vein the Buffalo voka-
freund exhorts all americans 70 protest 20 the
administration thatt has strayed from the right road
In It's neutrality. According to the BoBoner AnEeger
further tolerance OF the present conditions will
add to the respect by other nations of free
and neutral country. proeianning Il to be,
and this journal adds that the time II stop by
enactment Of law the expectation OF war material
Demokrat the United States Is guilty OF national
hypocrisy because "prays for peace on sunday ana
| during the week Ia making profit from the saia Of
weapons whereby this frghtfu slaughter may pro-
longed. In this connection may noeea the reuaarls
| of the Columbus Express and Westbote that our
boasted business morality is in the eyes Of all
respectable PEOPLE morality which very near
being crime against civilization"
i In pointed contrast to the foregoing German
| American views Is that OF the 81. Louis Arbeiter
zotung (soclast). which believes that only .hypo-
critical neutrality prohibit the export of
and holds that II Il Is proper 10 make and sell
machines for the destruction Of human beings In times
OF peace then It should be equally proper to make and
| sell them in tmes Of war
sooneiusion Tomorrew.1
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