New Britain herald., 1917-03-29
BRYAN APPEALS TO
 CONGRESS- TO HALT

Urges Farley With Germany Con-
 corning U-Boat Warfare OR REFERENDUM TO PEOPLE Former Secretary of State Believes
 America Would Be Inconsistent If
 It Went to War Without Resorttng
 First to AEbitxation.
 Miami. Fla, March 2s.-william J. Bryan today addressed an appeal to the senate and house urging that an attempt be made to secure the suspension of Germany's ruthless submarine campaign through the ap- plication of the .so-called Bryan Peace plan which provides for an in- vestigation of all disputes by an in- ternational tribunal before resort to war.
 MT. Bryan asked that congress also consult the wishes of the people through a referendum if it concludes that nothing but war will satisfy the nations honor. MT. Bryan's. appeal to congress follows:
 Exercising the citizens right of petition, I appeal to you. The dispute with Germany has passed beyond the domain of diplomacy and some ad- wise settlement by the sword. The metropolitan press, which tried to prevent the reelection. of the presi- dent and failed, undismayed by a popular verdict of more than one mill lion, now seeks to lash the country in- to fury and urges the government to take part in the European conflict.
 Bryan's Three Arguments.
 ''To you and to you only, Is given constitutional authority to declare war-war which in this case may mean the signing of the death war rants of thousands, even millions of your countrymen, and the laying of grievous burdens upon future gener- ations. Before you take this blood up on your hands consider, I pray you, first. that the wrongs which you would punish, cruel and unjustifiable, as they are, are not intended primar- lily against this country but are acts of desperation directed against other nations with which these offenders are at war. Second that our land is not threatened with invasion. 7 but that we are asked to so three thou sand miles for a chance to fight. Third that we have not the excuse for going to war that the Europeans nations had. They had no machinery for peace; we have a peace plan of fered by this nation to the world and now embodied in thirty treaties with hree-quarters of the population of the globe. The plan has the endorse ment of the president, the commen- dation of the senate and the approval of the people at the polls. It provides for investigation of all disputes by an international tribunal before resort to war.
 Calls Country Inconsistent.
 Fortunately these treaties compel us to employ the plan with Great Britain, France, Italy and Russia be-
  many formally approved the plan, all though no treaty has yet been con- cluded with her. Shallswe repudiate our own plan the first time we have an opportunity to employ it? If. as the president recently declared, the American people do not want war, is it not worth while to try the peace plan before bringing upon the people the horrors of war? Until an attempt is made and fails, no one is able to say that it would be impossible to secure the suspension of ruthless submarine warfare during the investi- gation for which the plan provides. Shall we deny to ourselves the credit of trying to settle the dispute with the treaty plan?
 And, is it not worth while to do our part in trying to avoid injury Would it not be better, as well as cheaper, for the government to carry on it's own vessels such Americans as must go to Europe rather than en- gage in war to vindicate the right of citizens who disregard all risks and ride upon belligerent ships?
 "Is it not worth while to separate passengers from contraband cargoes. so that the captains of passenger ships can give their entire attention to the safety of the passengers? Our nation is the worlds foremost advocate of peace. If we go to war it should be for a cause which history will justify. eff you reach the conclusion that nothing but war will satisfy the na- tion's honor, is it too much to ask that, by referendum, you consult the -~R rRy1nr yrwf in nf war. defend the nations honor with their lives?
 "As one who expects to live up to a citizens duties if war cannes, plead with you to use all honorable means to preserve peace before you take the re- sponsibility of plunging our beloved ,ooa 1r+o this ,,uprocedenfod struggle