The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-05

should be allowed to speak his convic- tions. He said a minority may really represent the country.
 Asserting that a minority frequently IS able to shape the national policy Senator LaFolIette digressed from his prepared speech to make a plea that the people make themselves heard.
 PLEA IS MADE
 "The poor, who are called to rot in che trenches" he declared dramatically. have now no organized mouthpiece. they have no press. but sometime they will be heard I hope in an orderly and peace ful way, and before long, when, if we take this step prices of necessaries will multiply, and they will come to be taxed double again and again, the people will be heard; they will have their day
 The Wisconsin senator referred to the Presidents statement that Germany had violated her submarine pledges, and con tnued:
 Her promise, so-called, was conditional upon England being brought to obedience of international law. Was it quite fair to lay before the country the statement that Germany made an unconditional promise and had deliberately violated 1t?
 Ut was England-not Germany-who refused to obey the declaration of Lon don containing the most humane ideals or naval warfare WnlcH cOuid pS II hiHSN by the civilized world up to that time
 ONLY NEUTRAL WAR-LIKE
 If this is war upon all mankind, is It not peculiar that the United States IS the only nation of all neutrals which regaros it necessary to declare war upon Ger many? All have refused to join III combination against Germany. Some may have a clearer view than we. This sus- picion of a desire for war profits does not attach to them."
 Senator LaFollette said the United States has not the confidence of the other American republics because or US war policies
 It is idle, he declared, to talk of war or the German government and not on the German people.
 I've are leagued," ne continued, Tor are about to be- according to the Pres ident's speech with the hereditary enc mics of the German people. Words are not strong enough to protest against combination with the entente allles which would have us indorse the viola tions of international law by Great Brit ain and her purpose to wreak vengeance on the German people,.
 SUBMIT TO PEOPLE
 Reverting to the Presidents assertion that the German people were thrown into war without an opportunity to say any thing about it, the senator asked: Will the supporters of this war bill have vote on it before it goes into effect? un- less they do that, it i'll becomes us to speak of Germany. Submit this question to the people. By vote of 10 to l they would register their declaration against war"
 The German people, he declared, have been more soiidly behind their govern ment than the people of the United States will be behind the President lh waging war on Germany
 "The espionage bill and the military bill that have been drawn by the war machine in this country" he said. are complete proof that those responsible know that it has not popular support The armies necessary to be raised to aid the entente allies cannot be raised py voluntary enlistment.
 Praising the character and services Of German-Americans in this country, Sen ator LaFollette said they now are being "doggedn by secret ~ervce men. He denied that any one government IS re- sponsible for the war, saving it was caused by European secret diplomacy and citing the Anglo-French Moroccan secret treaty as the most reprehensible, dis honest and perjured of records
 England first began the ruthless naval warfare" he charged, "by repudiating the declaration or London
 HUMBLE" OF ISSUES
 "It has pleased those who have been conducting this campaign through the press (for war) to make tumble of is- sues Senator LaFollette continued, "un- til now it is impossible to get an intel ligent answer regarding the real issues. They say Americans are being killed by German submarines. We haven't a leg to stand on in support of this war declaration"
 That the United States did not pro- test more vigorously against the British mine field blockade was the administra- tions S grea test mistake, the senator said, and the real and primary cause of an American declaration.
 We have wallowed in the mire at the feet of Great Britain and submitted in silence to her dictation,' he continued, because we acquiesced, we have legal and moral responsibility to Germany. Thus we have been actively aiding her enemy in starving German women, chill dren and old men. Germany waited three long months for this government to pro- test In principle therefore, Germany had the right to blindly destroy ships, by submarines and mines. her own block ade zone. Germany is only doing what England is doing.
 Germany has been patient with us, standing strictly on her rights to be ac- corded the same treatment as EnSlanQ by us.'
 WILLIAMS REPLIES
 When Senator LaFollette concluded he had been speaking more than three hours Senator Williams of Mississippi arose to reply.
 'The speech of the Wisconsin senator would better have become Herr Won Bethmann- H olweg than an American senator" said Senator Williams. 'In fact, he has gone further than Herr Won Beth mann Hollweg would have ever gone Bethmann- Hollweg said the use of the submarine could be justified only on the ground of necessity; the senator from Wisconsin puts it on the same footing as Great Britain's interference with our commerce.
 q fully expected the senator from Wisconsin before he took his seat to defend the invasion of Belgium, the most barbar0us net ever committed. heard from him n speech that was prO-German, pro-Goth, pro-vandal and which was anfi-Prcsident, anti-Congress and anti-American.
 While pronouncing a eulogy on the German people it might have eulogized very much greater, better and more intelligent people-the American. His speech was exactly what might have been delivered in the German Reich stag by Bethmann- Hollweg if Beth But Bethmann- Hollweg had too much sense, too much knowledge to make that speech
 At this point Senator LaFollette left the chamber, but remained in the cIoa k room a while within hearing dis