Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-11
BRYAN TO SEEK HELP
or GERMAN-AMERTCANS

/ the President tubt uilie9' a. ,,.orid
] stotee should make II plain to the WorIu
! tbst n stood for its rights wherever tiley
/ we're attacked tts sincerity as heu'le'
| would be likely to be assailed
FRIENDS RESENT CRITICISM.
r,rio,ds NJ the former Secretary are IN
oti,od 70 resent criticisms Of his reslshH-
tion at so critical a time He hoWeNei,
Ala not indorse their attitude, insistlns
that as soon as all OF the facts are Known
his action will be lndorsed by eVeryo0uy
T., ,to country that opposes war. He lett
~. y. ''' Sobinot when he might have re-
malned II was pointed out, at the very
time when he felt he could concentrate
tho attention, not alone Of the American
neonIe but Of the entire world on the one
subject dearest to his heart-estaplisn,,,
rnent of a brotherhood OF all men N an
the world. He made II plain In his first
complete statement that he realizes What
the coneeuuences will be II he is wrong.
Good Intentions, he declared, cannot atone
for a mistake at such time. He, now.
ever. believed his action justified ana
would continue to defend 1t until con-
WINGED that the people have repudlated
him.
TEXT OF STATEMENT.
The text OF Mr.. Bryan's statement FOL
lows:
To the American People:
You now have before you the text OF
the note to Germany-the note which II
would have been my official duty to sign
had / remained Secretary OF state l
ask you to sit in judgment upon my de-
clson to resign rather than to snare
responsibility for It. l am sure you VIII
credit me with honorable motives but
that Is not enough. Good Intentions
could not atone for a mistake at such
a time on such a subject and under
such circumstances.
II your verdict is against me, l ask
no mercy; / desire none IL | have acted
unwisely. A man in public life must
act according to his conscience, put
however conscientlously he acts, he
must be prepared to accept without
complaint any condemnation which MS
own errors may bring upon him. ne
must be willing to bear any deserved
punishment from ostracism to execution
But hear me before you pass sentence
The President and / agree in purpose;
we desire q peaceful solution of the DIS
pute which has arisen between the
United States and Germany. We not
only desire IL, but with equal fervor we
pray for IT, but we differ irreconcilably
as to the means of securing it.
DIFFERENCE NOT PERSONAL.
If it were merely a personal differ
ence Il would be a matter of little mo-
ment, for all the presumptlons are on
his side-the presumptions that go with
power and authority. He is your Presi-
dent, I am a private citizen without Of
flee or tItle-but one of the hundred mil
lion OF inhabitants.
hut the renl issue is not between
persons, II Is between Hystcmsi and
rely for vindication wholly upon
the strength of the position taken.
Among the influences which Govern
ments employ in dealing with each other
tyytEN y.Fl,t npNin
and antagonistic-forc and persuasion
Force speaks with firmness and acts
through the ultimatum; persuasion em-
ployS argument, courts investigation
and depends upon negotiation Force
represents tho old systematic system
that must pass away; persuasion rep
resents the new systematic system
that has been growing, all too slowly,
1t Is true, but growing for 1900 years.
In the old system war is the chief
cornerstone-war which at its best is
little better than war at its worst; the
new system contemplates an universal
brotherhood established through the up
lifting power of example.
FEARS NOTE TO GERMANY MEANS
WAR.
II correctly interpret the note to
Germany, IL conforms to the stand
ards of the old system rather than to
the rules of the new. and cheerfully
admit that II is abundantly supported
by neutrality-suspicious. written in
characters of blood upon almost every
paGe of human history. Austria fur
nishes the most recent precedent: IL
was Austria's firmness that dictated
the ultimatum against Servia. which
set the world at war. Every ruler
now participating in this unparalleled
conflict has proclaimed his desire for
peace and denied responsibility for
the war, and II is only charitable that
we should credit all of them with
good faith.
They desired peace, but they sought
it according to the rules of the old
system. They believed that frmness
would give the best assurance Of the
maintenance Of peace and, faithfully
following precedent. they went so near
the fire that they were, one after an
other, sucked into the contest.
NATIONS IN DEATH STRUGGLE.
Never before have the frightful follies
of this fatal system been so clearly re-
Vealed as now. The most civilized and
enlightened-aye, the most Christian
OF the nations of Europe are graphing
with each other as If in a death strug-
gle They are sacrificing the best and
bravest of their sons on the battlefield;
IHSS are COuNeIllbB InelF gardens into
cemeteries and their homes into houses
of mourning; they are taxing the wealth
OF today and laying a burden of debt
on the toll of the future; they have
filled the air with thunderbolts more
deadly than those Of Jove and they have
multiplied the perils of the deep.
Adding fresh fuel to the flame OF hate,
they have daily devised new horrors,
until one side is endeavoring TO drown
noncombatant men, women and children
at sea, while the other side seeks 10
starve non-combatant men, women and
children on land. And they are so alb
sorbed I'm alternate retaliations and in
competitive cruelties that they seem,
for the time being. blind TO the rights
OF neutrals and deaf to the appeals of
humanity.
WAR FRUIT OF OLD SYSTEM
A tree is known by its fruit. The war
IN Europe Is the ripened fruit OF the old
system.
This Is what hrmRess. supported by
force' has done In the old wOrIdj shall
we invite IL 90 cross the AtIantief
ALREADY the Jingoes of our own coun-
Try have caught the rabies from the
dogs or war; shall the opponents OF
organized slaughter be silent while
the disease spreads?
AS an humble follower OF the Prince
OF Feacei as devoted believer In the
prophecy that they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword" 1 beg
20 ne counted among those who earn
estiy urge the adoption OF a course ia
this matter which will leave no doubt