South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-09-01
Glow Puts
Over a peace"
Speech Here
Attacks Wilson and Congress
and Nearly Everything
Else u. S. is Do
ing in War.

There was a "Copperhead" meet
ing in South Bend last night-a
meeting Of 100 or more men and
Women-cuuosity seekers. monde
scripts. and others. who ought 10
know better. of various ages and in
tentions.
The meeting was styled an organ
izatiOn meeting Of the People
Council of America for Peace and
Democracy" organized by Florence
Wattles of Kokomo, Ind. and adj
dressed by Herbert 5. Bigelow of
Cincinnati
Bigelow was late When he did
come i'm. he and Miss Wattles sat
down in the front row Of chairs. and
here's what they said:
Difficult TO Arrange.
Miss Wattles: We'll, I've certain
ly had a Dickens of time getting
this thing organized"
BigeloW. oh, is that So What
about the socialists: aren't they in
on it,"
Miss Wattles: NO; this is new
crowd altogether"
Bigelow: Huh, mostly conScript.
get the socialists
Miss Wattles: "Oh. for various
reasons; I'll tell you later"
In the meantime leaflets had been
passed around giving the purpose or
the council as:
ITO secure an early. democratic
and general peace i'm harmony with
the principles outlined by New Rus
STA; namely.
no forcible auneXations. no punt
tive indemnities free Development
for all nationaIties.
ITO urge international organiza-
ton for the maintenance OF world
peace.
ITO induce our government 10
state concretely the terms upon
which it is willing to make peace.
To work for the repeal Of the
CONSUMPTION law.
"To safeguard labor standards.
ITO preserve and extend democ-
racy and liberty within the United
States"
That's the program outlined on
the leahet. Here's what Bigelow
did:
Attacks President.
BY innuendo, he attacked the in
tegrity of the congress of the United
States and the president Of the
United states.
He declared that, considering the
exemption claims as "a referendum"
the vote i'm the United States is about
four to one against war with Ger
many:
He said that millions and millions
of lives might be sacrificed on an
awful gamble" because the presi-
dent said mo TO the pOpe's recent
peace proposal;
He said the common sentiment OF
the men i'm America is: We'll. the
government wouldn't have TO draft
me if Germany came over here, but
/ don't know about travelling 5000
miles TO look for an enemy"
lie said that il was hard to be-
lieve that the war for democracy
was hardly ION the level, because
of the undemocratic actions of the
men who talk loudest' in favor of
it.
He told "a long tale about Cecil
Rhodes. the great English empire
builder. from which he apparently
concluded, and SO stated, that the
United States has been cajOled into
this war 10 maintain the world
leadership" of Great Britain and
subservience of the United States.
Listen to This.
He charged that Theodore ROose-
Welt. United States Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge. Earl Grey and others
formed secret" committee. whose
business il was To administer the
S250.OO0.O00 fortune left by Rhodes
20 promote an alliance between
Great Britain and America.
He minated that a part Of this
huge. mysterious fund had been
used 20 finance the preparedness
propaganda which was apparent be-
fore Americas entry into the war.
He admitted he had some sym
patty for the German point OF
view"
He is almost persuaded" that
Germany started the war and is sure
that whoever started it, started
something"
lie intimated that the demand Of
France for the return OF Alsace-
Lorraine is comparable 10 a supposed
demand of Mexico for the return of
California. Texas and Arizona.
He called Sen. Harding. of his own
state OF Ohio, a little kaiser and
said he was not a true American.
Qualities Everything.
And he said "a lot of other things
EQUALLY interesting and enlightening
as far as his own mental typhoon is
concerned. but he qualified every
statement. being oh. 50 careful. that
every time he spoke a seditious word
ne CLOSED il over with some such
phrase as the following
Il do not condemn the govern
ment'
Il don't want 10 be suspected Of
in any way casting reflections on
Prest Wilson. That is f5rthest from
my heart"
Yet. ne had the aUdacity 10 stand
beneath an American flag in the
high school i'm the city OF South
Bend. T.. :. A. and intimate that
this war is not a Just war. that the
motives which impelled our entrance
were. Ito say the least. capable Of
being thought not quite sincere" and