The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-10-19
WHAT IS WAR? ASKS
SENATOR BEVERAGE
lndianan Gives Best Answer To
Wilson Kept Us Out
of War"

Sioux Falls-In his speech here
Senator Beverage said:
Have we been kept out of war
with Mexico? What is wal? Merely
a declaration? Our naval var with
France was waged for two wears
without a declaration. Japan struck
Russia without a declaration. War
means offensive and deadly acts.
We invaded Mexico and withdrew;
but fighting took place and Ameri-
can marines were killed. Our terri
tory was invaded by MeXlcans who
were driven out; but again Ameri-
cans were killed. We invaded that
country n C more and today our
military forces, with seige guns, are
intrenched in the heart of Northern
Mexico. They have fought with uni
formed Meyicans ard soldiers of
both sides have fallen Almost the
whole of our effective military forces
are kept on the border and lines Of
communication established with
Pershlng's men. Our War Depart
ment has held officially that a desert
er from our army must be punished
as in time Of war. The governments
censorship of all news from Mexico
is nor rigid than that of European
belllgerents. If all this Is not war,
what is 1t? If such a state of things
existed between ourselves and any
other nation what would we call it?
What would the world call it?
Who Wants TO Fight Us?
Has the President kept US out Of
the European war? Did we want to
go to war with any nation engaged
in that conflict? No. Aside from a
group of passion blinded and pre-
judice-inflamed hot-heads. so few in
number they are negligible. the Am
erican people have been and are SOL
idly opposed to engaging in the war
for or against any Of the European
belligerents.
Did any of the warning nations
want to fight US? No. Every one
of them already have more than
enough of war on its hands. No
President could have possibly gotten
US into war except by an act of mad
ness unthinkable in any one who
could be chosen as the chief Magis-
trate Of the United States.
We could have prevented every
outrage that we have tamely suffer-
ed stopped every depreciation on our
commerce. without getting into the
war. We could even have retaliated
for the abuses which have been ard
now are increasingly practised upon
US without the least danger of being
drawn into the conflict.
Did Grover Cleveland get US into
war with Great Britain when he de-
fed that power with an ultimatum
which meant hostllities if it was not
needed? No. And yet Great Britain
was not then already engaged in war
that taxed her strength to the utter
most ac she rnu 10
Who Kept Neutral Nations Out of
War?
Who kept Sweden out Of the war?
Yet Sweden is so near to the flames
of the battle that thev almost scorlh
her. And what has been done TO us
has been attempted with Swe den.
But although not SO large as the
average American state and not so
porulous as some, Sweden has pro-
tected her interests and her honor by
the firm word of a government that
meant what it said, backed by a pre-.
pared people. peaceful, but spirited
and not too proud to fight When
Great Britain seized Swedish mail,
Sweden seized British mail; after
that retaliation Swedish mail has not
been violated. Yet Sweden is at
peace.
Who kept Holland, Norway. Spain,
Switzerland, and all the South Am.
~erican nations out of war;" Did
Wilson do it? Certainly not.