Evening star., 1915-06-20

Gus sponsor. Mr.. Bryan declared that
although Mr.. Taft himself had been
prominently identified with the cause
of peace and men associated with him
in the organization were "at least not
antagonistic to peace" the idea that
many persons may have had of regard
ing Mr. Tafts organization as the best
weapon with which to fight the Roose-
welt organiZa ation" was a mistaken one.
When the plan of the Taft organiZa-
ton is understood" continued Mr.. Bry-
an. 'it will be seen that it's effect is to
aid rather than obstruct the Roosevelt
propaganda. If the purpose of Mr..
Roosevelt's organization Is to make
preparation for war plea SAINT. MIR. Tafts
organization may be regarded as fur
nishing a plausible pretext for the
preparation which Mr.. Roosevelt ad-
vises"
word Enforce" in the title of the
League to Enforce Peace" and to the
declaration in a speech by President
Lowell of Harvard University at the
recent Philadelphia meeting that it
was aimed to discourage war by the
threat to use force"
Partners in War.
Their plan." continued Mr.. Bryan.
rs to organize an international police
force which will compel peace and
means that we shall make ourselves
partners with other nations in the
waging of war. Before we can prem
Use to enter into partnership with
other nations in future wars we must
repudiate the advice of Washington
who warned us against 'entangling al
liances.' The American people will be
very slow to enter into any arrange
ment which will involve us in the
quarrels of Europe.
The plan also would involve a sur
render of the Monroe doctrine. We
could hardly enter into a settlement of
European disputes and at the same
time refuse to allow European nations
to take part in the settlement of dis
putes in the western hemisphere. The
American people will not look with
in our national policy.
The speaker declared that the plan
proposed by the league would vest the
power to declare war in a group of ma
tions in which the United States nat
urally would not exercise a controll-
ing influence, and he felt assured, he
said, that it would be impossible to Sc
cure a two-thirds majority in Con-
surrender of it's right to declare war;
or that three-fourths Of the states
would approve such a constitutional
amendment if the resolution passed
Congress.
Violates American Precedents.
Still another objection was urged by
Mr.. Bryan against the leagues plan in
that 1t would be departure from the
American position as the friend of all
nations and the counselor of many"
This" declared Mr.. Bryan. would
impair our influence and jeopardize our
moral prestige. Listen not to those
who measure world power in units of
force We have been a world power
for more than a century and we can
not afford to exchange the moral in
fuence which we now have for the mill
itary glory of all the empires that have
risen and fallen since time began.
Il appeal to you, therefore, to remain
true to the ideals of the fathers. 1t
for the common people of to-
day to make known to the President
their firm adherence to the principles
which have made US the foremost ma
ton in the advocacy of peace"
Greeted With Prolonged Cheers.
Mr. Bryan, who arrived at Carnegie
Hall shortly after the meeting had
started, was greeted with prolonged
cheering by the large crowd that filed
the hall After reading his prepared
speech, the former Secretary of State
continued for some minutes extempo-
Tn a paper this morning the losses
for the first six months of the war
were given as 2.146.0oO killed and
4,931, 900 wounded he said. mo man
in Europe today knows from the lips
of the rulers what the yare fighting
about. Ten months have passed and we
find increasing suffering, increasing de-
struction and increasing devastation.
They have not only killed themselves,
but they have disturbed all the neutral
countries in the world. They have kept
US busy spending money to keep out
of war.
..If war does nothing else 1T will tea ch
that peace is the normal state and
when it is over we will have some laws
that will protect neutral nations. The
time will come and it is not far Off
when an offer of mediation will be in
order. This is the natural nation to
offer mediation Every one of these
nations fighting have descendants in
this country. and our sympathy is
with all. Every soldier boy that dies
over there makes US sad.
Isn't il bad enough to have hatred
preached over there, without having it
preached here? The American people
SHOULD stand to man against war and
for peace"
Possible to Prevent War.
Il believe It possible to prevent war
If the plans proposed here tonight for
the government to take over all the
plants manufacturing arms were
adopted il would be a great help to
prevent war.
Nothing has surprised me more in
nv official connection than that great
metropolitan papers are more inter-
ested in headlines than they are in the
people They are trying to determine
the policy of nation and take it's af-
fairs out of the hands of the officials
las a private citizen 1 am going to
use my influence to crystalline the
peace sentiment SO that when the
iineoes tell the President what to do.
what the real sentiment is. II vote
were taken in this country, SO out of
every 100 citizens would vote that an
American owes II to his country that
he should not go into the danger zone.
The majority of people are willing
to Investigate" continued Mr. Bryan
who was heckled by some one in the
gallery with, How about Mexico?"
Pleads for Investigation.
We have been investigating In Mex
leo for two years and three months. |
and we are Investigating yet. why
can't we investigate in Christian |
spirit for one year on any question. no |
matter what 1t is. A years time Will |
II. lu-l IL