Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-16
II s. OPPORTUNITY
AS FIRST NEUTRAL
rrx.n Says Nation Will ss Greatest
Factor in Determining Peace Of
Europs-Prsdiets Demand For Inter-
national conarsss at Close Of Hos
tiiitiss 10 Change Rules Of lntsrna-
tienai Law. J.

sfatements on "the causeless war;" to-
day prophesied that tho greatest peace
making opportunity in all history was
certain to come to the. United States.
ana declared there would be q demand
for an international congress with the
return Of peace to cnange the rules OF
international 10 v, which seem to have
been made for the nations at war
rather tkan the nations at peace.
"Under the stress Of the titanic
struggle" Mr.. Bryan's statement says.
leach side had felt itself justified in
encroaching on the rights OF neutrals.
Tho ocean highways. the common
property Of all. have been appropriated
for war purposes, and delicate interna-
tional war questions are forced on the
neutrals.
Warrins- Nations Lose Poiss.
"Just when these questions are most
acute, the be'l;gerent governments are
les. able 70 deal with them with the
calmness and ro.ee which their Inn
.,ortance demands. No wonder essry
Yeutral nation Is anxious for tho end
u the wa: but Of all neutral nations
ours has the most reason for the re-
turn Of peace. This nation, the head
Of the neutral group. and the sincere
friend Of all the beEigerents, is In duty
bound to Sos an example In patience
q nd self restraint.
..In All history no such opportunity
Tag ever come 70 any othe- nation a.
sti.St wh,ca ID isdestined-to como to the
United States. In all history no other
peacemakef has ever been in position
TO claim 50 rich blessing az that
which will be pronounced on our pres
;dent when mediation comes-as come
II must"
indifference impossible.
Mr.. Bryan describes the horrors OF
the war. and says:
Neutral nations can not look on with
indifference-the ties that bind them
together are too strong. the relation
shin too intimate. This il especially
true Of the United States. We have a
composite population-every nation OF
Enrope having contributed literally to
our citizenship. These, our country
men. themselves born abroad or i'm
mediately descended from foreign-born
ancestors, can not but take lively In
terest in the war and Its termination.
and still larger circle shares the con-
cern Of those more directly connected"
Neutral Nations Suffer.
"Not = soldier falls on either side.
nut the sorrow expressed In his home
finds an echo at some freside In the
United States"
BESIDES sentimental consideration,
Mr.. Bryan asserts. neutral nations suf-
fer internally as result Of the war.
.sNo American citizen can note with
ont deep concern the manner in which
var questions have protruded them
selves lntoS our politics"
At some length Mr.. Bryan refers to
the interruption Of commerce. derange-
ment Of business and speaks OF
scarcity OF American ships az one OF
the greatest embarrassments Of the
United States.
.aThe neutral nations are put to great
expense to preserve neutrality and are
constantly threatened with being
drawn into the war. The rules Of In
ternational law seem too have been
made for the nations at war rather
than for the nations at peace. It 10
simoat impossible to alter these laws
during 1 war, - changes affecting
belliferent nations would -seemtngiy De
: violation Of neutrality.
..As soon AZ peace returns there Will
he. an international conference on the
subject. II nations are determined. to
geht. they should. 30 far as possible
~ the burden themselves and should
not be psrmittsd to transfer It to ma
lions which avoid war.