The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-01

Mr.. Mann: Mr.. Speaker, in the
quietude of my garden lcst summer
and autumn reached certain conclu-
s1ons which have hesitated to ex-
press, thinking that I might modify
them. But AZ time has gone on and
events have occurred it has seemed
to me more certain that my conclu-
sions were right than even whom
first reached them, and I think, In
Justice to myself. and hope with
some slight benefit to the country,
to the house,
It is we'll known in tho house that
I never have been a believer In a
large standing army, and I suppose
that l have been probably properly
classed In what Is, sometimes referred
to as the little navy men," But
wise men ought to be able to peer,
maybe indistinctly, into the future.
and to prepare today for what may
come tomorrow. The world Is In the
most anomalous condition which man
kind has ever seen. The greatest
struggle of all the ages is going on
now between the most powerful
forces OF the human race. between
great nations and combinations OF ma
lions, until we are the only large. pow
erful nation not yet involved in that
struggle. 1t is breakup In the
world, each side not merely fighting
for It's own existence, as 1t believes.
but, as it seems to me. each side
fighting with the determination to
put the other side, as it were, out OF
business We have never had such
thing in the world before, with the
same powerful influences at work.
The laws of civilization, interna-
tional laws, the laws OF humanity, are
usually disregarded, at least more or
less, when two great forces are figh:-
ing for mastery. With two men
fighting, each believing that he Is
| fighting for his life, each determined
to take the life of the other, neither
pays much attention to the desires,
the requests or the demands OF some
less powerful person not engaged In
the conflict. ~ ~
| l do not know, and no one knows,
what will result from the present war.
No one knows whether the aggression
interests, may possibly, against our
desires and contrary to our wishes
now, finally lead us. perhaps not into
this struggle but into some struggle
which is the outcome Of this one. l
doubt whether a paper peace be-
tween the two struggling parties now,
even If it could be entered into, would
/ be even the beginning Of the end. 1
think the present conflict is likely to
last for many years before 1t is defn-
itely determined either that one side
/ or the other is the master or that
neither can become the master. And
| it seems to me that the part Of wis
! dom for us Is to fairly prepare our
selves for any possible trouble which
| may come. cloud applause.)
Peace at all Hazards.
It may be that we will have no
trouble. hope not. In this war am
neutral. I think we ought to main
tain peace at all hazards. And yet
the time may come when we Will not
have the determination whether we
can maintain peace or not, however
much we may desire peace, it is not
within power, with the feelings wht"h
we have, to stand aggression too far.
| 1t will be expensive to prepare for
peace. Two years ago a billion dol
| lars seemed very large sum OF mon
! ey. No one would have believed two
years ago that either England or Ger
j many could carry on war at the ex-
pense already involved, amounting to
billions of dollars, an expense so great
that the interest on the Indebtedness
would be sufficient ordinarily to main
tain the government work. And the
end Of that Indebtedness is not In
sight. What may come cut of such
( immense burdens of debt in these
countries, even when peace may be
declared, no one can tell. Revolu-
tions are not improbable, and revolu-
lions in the history Of the world have
usually lead to aggression and dis
putes. and often to war with other
countries. We can better afford to-
day to spend hundreds Of millions of
dollars, or few billions Of dollars.
in ample preparation for trouble, and
avoid it If possible, than we can to
wait for trouble and then spend untold
billions before we are finally victors,
as we would be. (Applause) If we
are involved in no trouble we will be
getting off cheaply with the expendi-
lures for preparation. If we should