Imperial Valley press., 1929-04-06
NORRIS ASSERTS
WORLD WAR WAS
FOUGHT IN VAIN
Senator Who Opposed Our
Entry Declares He Feels
The Same Way Now.
BY PAUL r. MALLON
(United Press Staff Correspondent


(Copy right. 1929, by United Press)
WASHINGTON, April 6. U.H-
In the warm stale air of the house
of representatives at 80 4. H., II
years ago today the senate resolu-
ton hurting this nation into the
World War was passed 373 to 30
over the protests of small band
Of men who brought social ostraclsm
upOn themselves for a time because
of their refusal to join the general
cIamor.
Earlier the senate had passed the
resolution SO to 6 against the advice
of an even smaller and more hated
group led by the late Senator Rob
crt NJ. LaFolIette of Wisconsin, who
walked alone in senate corridors
for many years thereafter because
of the speech he made against the
war declaration.
Today with $4,000 American sol
diers in battlefield graves and
thousands more maimod in hospitals,
with most of the wartime hatreGs
forgotten, there are but eight or
the 56 who voted against war left
IN congress to tell the tale-survivors
of bitter years during which they
were hissed as "pro-Germans. y
Would Do 1t Again
The sole senate survivor is George
w. Norris of Nebraska, who in a
reminiscent statement today said he
had no regrets and that he would
cast his vote exactly the same if
view was seconded by Representa-
tive Fred A. Britten of Illinois,
chairman of the House Naval Com
mittea, who said the world has nor
! been made safe for democracy and
that the war was fought in vain.
81 believe,' said Senator Nor.
ris. Subsequent events have not
only justified the position l took
but that they show I was right. -
! His position was that the country
was being thrust into war at the be
hest of international bankers and
that the overt acts of Great Brit
ain were as insulting to the United
States as those of Germany!
Britten explained his vote against
war based on the following premis
es:
"First, we were entirely unprc
! pared to enter that world carnage
thanks to pacifist propa ganda whicl
had wrecked all we'll considered
plans for our national defense.
"Thousands were herded on ships
with but few weeks of training
Disease followed. Poor equipment
was complained of everywhere
American AVIATION material was Il
ghastly F4.c".
"Anc now with the passing of :
years ince our entrance into tn1t
awful waste, | fird that the wal
has be"n fonghr in vain. The world
has not been lradc safe fot demo
cracy. The right of self determ:na
ton AMI free suc5ch does not pre-
, vail.
Seven House Objections
Europe has n.Cre military mon
under arms toda; than eyer .etoIC
in prc-war G!ys. Hatreds and iral
ousics cNist g ~ here OF. :. II con
tincnt while no. two nations E:,NC
confidence III Gch other. DlrA'
macy and dc'.;t 20 hand ~ han.i.
"TaX burdens and Preparations
are irightful and no one is satisfl
cd. l. will take 500 years Of peace
t. overcome the disasters of tn,
World War, and / repeat it ha
been fought in vain,'
Besides Britten the other war OBJ
jectors remaining in the house ar'
Alon of Alabama, Browne, Coope
and Frear of Wisconsin, Haugen o
Iowa, (n.E chairman of the agri
culture committee,) and Royal John
son of South Dakota, who qui
congress to go to war. The name
Of the four senators who vote(
against war in addition to the eld
cr La Toilette and Norris are: A. j
Gronna of North Dakota, Harr!
Lane of Oregon, William Joel Ston'
of Missour; and j. X. Nardamap o
Mississippi. La Toilette, Gronna
i