The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-15
ID
 SECURE PEACE IS :
 NEUTRALS' RIGHT
Senator Stone Contends Idea They Should Wait for Invitation to Act Is
 Not Tenable


 of neutral which has suffered from the effects of the European war, particularly the right of the United States to initiate a movement for peace, was asserted here tonight before the League to Enforce Peace by Senator Stone, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee.
 Since the war has, almost from the beginning. resulted in continuing offen- sive attacks on the rights and dignity of this sovereignty and in inflicting in- calculable injury to our national inter- ests-all of which we have borne with patience because of our friendship for the nations involved" said Senator Stone, lit seems to me that after enduring these attacks and suffering these losses for nearly two and one-half years, with no end yet in sight, that we have a right without regard to any question of sym pathy of humanity, but solely on our own account and to safeguard our own in- terests, to approach the combatants as 8 mutual friend and open negotia tions with view to the re-establishment of nor mai international conditions"
 SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF
 The senator declared he wished it dis- tinctly understood that he spoke on his own personal responsibility, but said he later might speak in another forum on whether any neutral or group of neu trals should attempt any affirmative action to end the present war; He said he would not discuss the wisdom or un- wisdom of an approach of the belligerents with peace proposals, but merely of the propriety of the right and pointed out that distinguished men in this country and in the warning countries have warned that such a movement would not only be futile but offensive
 q am not disposed,' he added, to ac- cept without questioning either the ac- curacy of these statements or the sound- ness of the reasons on which they are predicated.'
 The United States has suffered from acts that have "been grossly offensive to our national pride, and hurtful be- yond estimate to our national interests.' He instanced censorship of the mails, ships seized or sunk on the high seasy peaceful commerce with neutrals inter- rupted, or interdicted, and American citi- zens-"men, women and children guilty O. no offense-killed on land and sea with out warning and without justification"
 WILSON KEPT PEACE
 There have been times" he contin- ued, when our patience has been strained to the limit, and when danger to our own national peace lurked iIi the thickening shadows of every pass ing day. Yes, there have been times when our peace was preserved only by the clear vision, the steady hand, the resolute heart of one man. Do not such things give us some right of our own to speak kindly word on behalf ot peace?''
 T cannot escape the view" Senator Stone concluded, that neutral na- ton, suffering on so large a scale the evils of war, is not obligated from any just point of view to stand helplessly aloof, denied all right to offer even d suggestion until invited to speak. On the contrary I hold that whenever a nation, or any group of neutral nations, becomes the unoffending victim of any war, it or they, acting singly or in con- cert, can, as of right, make representa- tons to the nations at war, to discuss the questions at issue and strive for a basis upon which honorable peace may be restored to the world.
 NEUTRALS HAVE RIGHT
 If you ask what the neutral nations or nations might do if their approach ment should be resented as offensive 1 answer that that would be question for after consideration. The question is not difficult to answer. Various things might be regarded as not only offensive to but harmful to the neutral nations offer ing their friendly services I do not now care to go to the length of indicating what might be done.
 My purpose in venturing upon this theme is solely to combat the notion that in the circumstances of this war neutral nations cannot properly move, even in the most friendly spirit, to terminate a struggle disastrous not only to the na- tions engaged in it but enormously hurt full to the whole world, until such out side intervention has been invited. I cannot subscribe to that doctrine"