The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-02-16
We HAVE WATCHED
WARS DESOLAT|ON
For That Reason We Did Not
Rush Into Conflict,
COUNTING THE COST FIRST
Had Europe Known What Was Before
ID War Would Have Been Avoided.
All Nations Take Advantage of Each
Other When Opportunity Presents
Itself.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.


Itself.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington. Feb. IL. Special If
the European nations had known what
was actually In store for them back
yonder In July and August. 1914. they
would not have gone to war. 1t H.
because the United States has had an
opportunity to see what has happened
that this country does not rush joyful
ly and i%mpetuously into the great con
fict.
A score OF years & we went gayly
to war with Spain because there was
no horrible picture of war desolation
before us. Now Ii is with seriousness
and grave f~orebodings that people con.
slider the impending clash.
Ii the people had actually realized
the final outcome of the Spanish wal
and the burdens 1t imposed they would
not have been so cheerful at the be
ginning. When the wal with Spain
was over and we had the Philippines.
Hawaii, Porto Rico and were on the
way to building the canal a shrewd
statesman remarked:
'"The trouble with war Is that you
can see where you are going In. but
you can't see where you are coming
OUT
A Time For Pressure.
ut is to be noted" remarked one of
our statesmen. "that japan realized
that the crisis with Germany might be
a good time to enforce certain demands
and that alien land bills In the Pacific
coast states were Withdrawn
And hat reminded me that 1t was
during our brush with Spain that
Great Britain enforced the settlement
Of several long disputed claims.
Nations, like individuals, take ad-
vantage of %opportune times and put on
pressure. But Japan's pressure was
not sufficient to prevent the passage of
the immigration bin containing a pro
vision against which Japan had pro-
tested.
Defended Bryan.
II was rather bold ON the part of
Congressman Sloan OF Nebraska TO de-
fend William j. Bryan. who had been
vigorously attacked by Congressman
Miller OF Minnesota because Bryan had
urged the people to advise the govern
ment as to whether they wanted peace
or a rupture with Germany.
II rise to defend a man | never de
Tended before" said Sloan. IA man
whom | have opposed In all his pc
litical views for years. He has active
ly opposed every political ambition !
ever had with all the force of his
matchless eloquence. But whether his
views then or now agree with ours IL
matters not. Affairs have not gone
SO far that either Mr.. Bryan or any
other American citizen can be charged
with a lack Of patriotism for advocat-
ing peace. He comes from my state
and is the idol of a large number OF
people of that state regardless of pc
litical affiliations. He has spoken to
more people In the United States and
In the world than any other living
man. | protest against men on this
side or that side coming In and brand
ing as reasonable the fairly consid-
cred words or sentiments of any man."
Let Them Advertise.
In connection with a bill inviting the
Latin American republics to p%artici-
pate i'm the centennial of Mississippi at
Gulfport Minority Leader Mann, who
had objected, said that he used to
spend the winters at Gulfport and that
1t was a most delightful place. Let
the people of Mississippi advertise to
the north what you have got and you
will have many northerners down there
In the cold weather."
Scraps of Paper.
Much discussion will take place be-
fore the United States enters a league
to enforce peace. There Is yet a great
deal of skepticism as TO whether ma
lions will keep agreements along these
lines III it should be to their interest
to do otherwise. In a recent speech
opposing a league to enforce peace
Congressman Gardner of Massachu-
sets said:
II confess that | have lost confidence
In international agreements. Countries
do not keep their treaties when the
pace gets too hot. Even Uncle Sans
hands are by no means clean.
I'VE violated our treaty with the
Chinese when we passed the Chinese
exclusion act. and we violated our
treaty with the Indians when we drove
them from their homestead lands to
the country west of the Mississippi riv-
er. The march Of events was too
strong for U.S."
Ever Ready Hampton Moore.
Every time there is a bill under dis
cussion for national defense j. Hamp-
ton Moore comes forward with his
proposition for an intercoastal water
way from the New England states to
the Mexican border. 1t has become
quite a joke In congress, and nearly
everybody laughs when Moore talks
about this big project. But Moore