TaÌˆgliches Cincinnatier volksblatt. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1885-1919, 1916-02-14
AMERICAS LOST OPPORTUNITY.

4
4
AMERICAS LOST OPPORTUNITY.
On Thursday, January 27. 1915. whill
President Wilson was In New York
opening his defense Of the Administra
tion, Congressman GaIlivan, Of Massa
chusetts. was holding the House o.
Representatives spellbound by the bit
terest but most Just reuuke rnAt hAs
been administered the Administration
a. this session OF Congress. II il poor
American who will not read the fol.
lowing excerpts from Mr.. GallivAn's
speech with thrill Of pride.
The Presidents message on neu.
trality was received with universal
acclaim. We rejoiced in the fact that
we were citizens of free and peacsful
country. l want TO say now, Mr..
Speaker, that did we hold the position
today which we then occupied, the war
would be at close, and the belligerents
would be looking to neutral and inn
partial America as to the ark Of the
covenant to bring about peace. We
would today occupy q position Of moral
grandeur never yet held by any nation
in the world. We would be the peace
maker Of the earth. Can any gain in
material prosperity compensate us for
the loss of such q high vantage grounda
Mr.. SPEAKER, l REGRET ExCEE-
DINGHY THAT SUCH AN OPPORTu-
NIFTY WAS ALLOWED TO BIZ LOST.
1t may not return again. deplore
the following OF mere legality instead
OF the higher morality and sensitive i'm.
partiality and the substitution Of eco
nornic advantage for the new freedom.
Instead Of now standing on the heights
with our faces turned toward the morn
ing and the dawn Of better era.
fear we are cropping in the lowlands,
with the conflicting passions which have
ever separated men and nations dinning
in our ears.
81 can not help thinking-and, al
though l say II with all candor, still
utter II will, deep regret---that II the
policy of 'watchful waiting had Been
used toward the European wsr and the
ono of alert action toward Mexico,
we should today occupy in the world
a prord moral eninenee, surrounded by
the universal gratitude and admiration
Of the nations. tApplause.D How could
we be so shortsighted ~ TO lose such
4 glorious opportunity ] do not think
for q moment II was mere love Of
money. although that has been always
one. Of the most potent cansess Of human
action. No, Mr.. Speaker, think san
here and now place my finger on what
I consider the worst menace In this
today We AZ hearing much OF
citizens and America
Iirst, but the most violent propaganda
among us at the present time,
md the most dangerous one TO my
mind, is THE PRo-BhITIsH. whose
reveal in their every ut
terance that the dominant motive
bower in their lives is not America
I:rst'. but England first. tAPplauss.) 4
"I do not know whether II is dis
,ass or a deep-seatsd prejudice, but
Z is mischievous and unpatriotic. zap
,iause.) II is based on false conceP-
ion Of historic facts, yet it steals al
he assurance Of truth with the super
ldied effrontery Of humbug. Modesty
/ has none. II fills the public press
rith its elamor, and really one begins
o think after While these people are
,bsessed with the idea that the one
mission America has in the world is TO
ave England. And portion Of this
'ress. ! am sorry to say, allows its
olnmns to be fed BY misinformation
nd news perversions supplied from Bri-
ish news agencies. written by inte-
ests antagonistic to American peace
nd wellbeing.
Il refer only 10 those newspapers
hat aim to poison the American public
mind against the patriotic interests Of
.merica, and seek BY falsehood, Islander
nd misrepresentation TO set one class
4 Americans against Others. These are
he papers responsible for the so-cslled
,yphen' campaign 70 discredit class
{ American citisens whose loyalty and
idelity to the Republic have been pro-
en- on hundrsd battle fields. ZAP
lause.)
"And what shall ! say Of our great
.merican statesmeni This much At
'ast: have no sympathy with the
odge. Roosevelt choste-Root interpre-
alton of history. tApplause). 1t is
purious and superficial; IL does not get
own to the origin Of things. They
'ouId have us belisys that all the fun.
rights W pcsssss are hert
.ge bequeathed 70 W By England. !
AN NOT ACCEPT SUCH A Low
sTIMATE or AMERICAN LIBER.
les. I do not fof : moment aeknow-
dge any such debt. ] do not ascribe
, any lower source the principle of
t,ho~kv uuorf which this