The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-16
william JENNINGS BRYAN EXPLAINS WHY
i. S. SHOULD NOT PREPARE FOR WAR
AND WHAT PREPAREDNESS WILL LEAD TO
PREPAREDNESS WILL BRING ON WAR
Pevnte
Eropwo Be Declared he hespake

tent they have done so, still further
Gripping the carrying trade of the
ocean. Because of lack of ships and
because of theincreased risks of the
sea, it has sometimes cost seven times
as much to send bale of cotton
across the ocean as it cost in normal
times. When on the Pacific Coast a
few weeks ago | learned that 1t then
cost nearly three times as much to
transport bushel of wheat to Eu-
ropeas it cost in time OF peace. These
are some of the burdens which neu-
tral nations are bearing; and, in ad.
dition to these. all OF them are in
danger of being drawn into this war,
although none of them desire to take
part in It,
When you understand international
law as now interpreted and applied
you will feel as do, that international
law seems to have been written for
the benefit of nations at war rather
than for the benefit of nations at
peace. am hoping that when this
war isover we shall be able to secure
such changes as may be necessary to
write international law upon the
theory that peace. and not war, is the
normal relation between nations
amendments which will make the rule
read, not as It seems to now, namely,
that nations at peace may attend to
their own business so long as they do
not interfere with the fight, but will
provide that nations that do fight must
not disturb the peace. the commerce,
or the prosperity of the nations that
prefer to substitute reason for force
in the settlement of their international
differences
have called attention to the out
standing features of this war that you
might comprehend its magnitude, and
/ have mentioned some of the injuries
suffered by neutrals that you might
understand how earnestly the neutral
nations long for the return of peace,
but can not conclude this part of my
address without impressing upon your
minds two facts which 1t is necessary
for us to keep in mind. II all the
newspapers had obeyed the President
and observed neutrality, his tasks
would not have been SO delicate and
the people would have been better in
formed But while most Of the news
papers have tried to be neutral, we
have had two unneutral groups-the
pro-ally group and the pro-German
group The pro-ally group has em
phasized our disputes with Germany
and the pro-German group has empha
sized our disputes with Great Brit
ain. We have had disputes with both
we have protested to Germany agains
the use she has made of submarines
and to Great Britain against interfer
ence with our trade with neutrals. 1
you will read the notes which our Coz
ernment has sent, you will find tha
our rights, as we understand thos'
rights, have been violated, but not b!
one side only, but by both sides. AM
that injuries have come to us from
both sides.
This is the first fact which we mus
keep In mind, and the second is relates
to II. namely, that while both side
have injured US. neither side has de
sired to do SO. The injuries which W
have suffered have not been intende'
against us, but have been incidenta
to the injury which each has intende'
against the other. They are like tw
men shooting at each other In tn
street, who are too much intereste
III MIL tdIu W any uttthtio
to the bystanders, who get the stra
bullets from both sides. In order t
deal patiently with the problems pre-
sented by this war It is necessary tha
we would understand both Of thes
facts-I repeat the statement of ther
namely. that both sides have injure
. us. but that neither side desired I
do so. It would beunfortunate enoug
for us to go to war with a nation tina
J hated us and wanted war with us. Go
: forbid that we shall ever compel
: nation to go to war with US IL It |
not an enemy and does not want wa
with the United State.
And now allow me to ask you to col
In slider the false philosophy out Of whic
. this war has grown and the naturs