Evening star., 1940-07-16

rnodities; the long-range farm
tenant program whereby such ten.
ants may acquire, under reasonable
terms, and on long payments. the
BENEFITS Of owning their own homes:
and the immeasurable benefits to
them Of the policy Of parity pay
ments. I particularly call your at
tention to the attitude Of the Re-
publicans In Congress with refer
ence to the parity payment program.
and remember that this was q direct
and vital issue as to whether or not
the Government should undertake
by this means to equalize, at least
in part. the prices which the farmers
secured for their products as COM
pared to the cost of their production
or the things they had to buy in
the open market.
On March %, 1899, the House of
Representatives, on q vote to ap-
propriate $3.50 y000, 900 to provide for
such parity payments, the Demo-
Gratis voted for the proposition, 1853,
and Republicans voted for, 20, and
against, 125. On May Of this year.
the vote on the proposal for $212,-
000. 900 for parity payments to farm
ers was for, Democrats, 1872: Repub-
ncans for, 20. and against, 131. You
there have a concrete example of
the deep and abiding interest which
the Republican membership of the
House took upon this most vital
question for the benefit of agricul-
ture. BY their votes shall ye know
them.
Democratic Party
Not War Party.
One OF the most remarkable, as
well as discreditable, efforts ever
made by a political party to fabricate
out Of the whole cloth and without
a shred Of evidence to support it is
the charge Of some Republican
leaders that the Democratic party
and administration are attempting
slyly and covertly to lead the United
States into the shambles of a foreign
war.
I here and now denounce that
calumny and assert that, not only
Is this administration opposed abb
solutely to participation in any
European war, but upon the con-
trary. both the President and our
able Secretary of State, Cordell
Hull. and a Democratic Congress
have done everything possible
within the bounds of reason, not
only to preserve peace in Europe
and in the entire world. but to so
conduct our foreign relations that
every precaution would be taken to
keep us out of involvement in a
foreign war. He has especially and
consistently addressed his activities
to the consolidation of that policy
In this hemisphere and especially
with our sister republics In Latin
America.
When the President signed the
first neutrality resolution on Au-
gust 81, 1885, he did so with this
statement: Il have approved this
joint resolution because it was in
tended as an expression of the fixed
desire of the Government and the
people Of the United States to avoid
any action which might involve us
in war. The policy of the Govern
ment is definitely committed to the
maintenance Of peace and the
avoidance Of any entanglements
which would lead us into conflict.
Only 'Meddling" Was
To Try to Bring Peace.
The only so-called meddling in
European affairs by the Executive
has been based entirely upon an
appeal for the preservation of peace
against the spread of war and in
behalf of humanity and adherence
to treaty obligations and interna-
tional law. AS the head of a great
peace-loving Republic and as q
great humanitarian, he could have
done no less. Just few days ago,
on Wednesday of last week, he
sent a memorable message to the
Congress in which he specifically
and definitely gave this assurance
OF policy to the American people.
THAT We are opposed to war is
known not only to every American,
but to every government in the
world. We will not use our arms
In the way of aggression; we will
not send our men to take part in
European wars" In addition to
all this. he called a special session
OF Congress last year after the
war broke out in Europe, recon-
mended, and the Democratic party
passed, amendments to the existing
neutrality law which prohibited the
shipment in American vessels of
cargoes into the waters of the bel
hgerent nations, which, if it had
not been done, would doubtless long
before this have inevitably drawn
us into the conflict for the same
reasons which induced America to
go to war against the Central Pow
ers In 1917. On the vote in the
House Of Representatives on this
most vital proposal for keeping out
Of the European war, on the final
roll call on the conference report
Of the neutrality bill, there were,
yeas, Democrats 223, Republicans
lG~ All NJ