Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1917-07-26
SPEAKER At
CHAUTAUQUA
TALKS PLAIN
CYCLONE DAVIS SAYS VERY
LIFE OF UNITED STATES AT
STAKE IN WAR
BARES PLOT OF CZAR
TEXAS CONGRESSMAN HAS LIT
TIE USE FOR CROWNED
HEADS IN EUROPE

"America is in this war because of
the fact that the highest government
officials believed that if it did not
step in when it did there would be no
United States after the war;"
That was the statement of "Cyclone"
Davis, ex-congressman from Texas
when he delivered the principal ad
dress Sunday afternoon at the Will
liston Chautauqua.
Mr.. Davis spoke on the develop
ment of the war and the probable
basis or present outlook for peace. He
went into the first incidents of the
scrap which has provoked world
conflict and brought the fray down to
date dealing particularly with the
conditions that caused Uncle Sam to
take q hand in the melee.
Mr.. Davis was one Of the pacifists
of the last Congress. With many
other fair minded congressman he
was averse to the United States go
ing into the war with the idea of help
ing any monarchy in Europe win
even going so far as to protest
against helping England when that
country with the other allies got into
deep water in the struggle. A crowd
of congressman backed up by in
fluential people from all over the
country held out until the last and
the straw that broke the back of the
pacifst move was the report and we'll
proven plot made by the Gar of Rus
sia to deliver the country and re-
sources of Russia to the Central
powers while those two countries
were subjecting the remainder OF
Europe. He related the soldiers
fighting for Russia were left in the
fields for five weeks without any gov
ernment rations and that clothing
was held up for five months. In the
face of these facts it was known that
there were large stories Of supplies
and food not many miles from the
camps.
This was the condition when Presi-
dent Wilson's war message was given
to the men in the Russian lines. Tho
unable to read English tongue it was
made plain to them that the ruler of
a great democratic nation was go
ing into the war on the side of the
people and against all monarchy and
kingly power and the Russian people
grabbed the chance with the result
that within a few hours the Russian
Gar was a cringing coward, hiding
to save his life, his crown actually
"Knocked from his head by the pa
perwad" which brought President
Wilson's message to Russia.
Mr. Davis told the story in man.
ner that was entertaining as we'll as
convincing and his frequent squeaky
references to monarchs everywhere
indicated that he had little love for
them-in fact he said he trusted kings
and cars about like he trusted rat
tie snakes.
Mr.. Davis said that he was an in
tense and agonizing democrat-and
the fact that he is a Congressman
from Texas led his hearers to sur
mise that he was democrat of some
degree. He said, that the United
States before going into the war had
laid down a program for the allies to
agree to and that they did agree to
It before war was declared and this
program provided in as much as any
human agency could provide that when
this war is fought and the nations OF
the world sit in at a peace table that
government for the people and by the
people will be the first proposition to
be considered the world over.
Cyclone Davis talk at Chautauoua
was one of the best features and Will
liston people had the first chance
since the war to hear first hand from
a man in close touch with the admin !
istration during the troublous days !
before the war and man who was |
not in favor of war but now convert !
ed to an earnest worker for war in !
the interests of final peace.