The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-05-21

BY MRS. ElLl<A v. A1lOtAI1e
Who is to blame for wars?
Take look at history:
Borrow your fifth graders history
and see what Kelly says about the
Spanish American war. Briefly this
is the gist Of It: In 1898 President
Mckinley might have secured the in
dependence of Cuba without fighting
as Spain did not want war. But
neither congress nor the people would
wait. The Americans had about fifty
million dollars invested in Cuban
plantations, mines and railroads, and
they wanted their property protected
So they aroused the people to pop
ular anger through propaganda while
American newspapers shouted for
war. THEY MADE THE PEOPLE
ASK FOR WAR.
Kelly also states that the cause Of
the first World war was commercial
rivalry between industrial nations.
She shows very clearly that it was a
struggle for world trade by way of
colonies. But we were told then that
it was a war to save democracy.
When the League of Nations was
discussed in our United States SEN
ate, the Senate refused to allow the
United States to join. Why? Because
people were afraid it would draw the
United States into foreign wars. Why
do we, the people, go out OF our way
to join those wars now?
President Roosevelt in 1885 said:
ITO resist the clamor Of that greed
(for world trade) If war should come
would require the answering sup
port of all Americans who love peace.
1t is the duty of all of us to encourage
such a body of public opinion in this
country that the answer will be clear
and for all practical purposes unani-
NOUS" Has Roosevelt himself been
unable to resist that clamor?
We are told that the present war
also is a struggle to preserve democ-
racy Yet many prominent men de-
clare that the world is torn in strife
over the gold standard. We know
that three-fourths of the worlds gold
supply is in Kentucky. We know also
l1idJ 0Cl ludlJ hdo AiOiiN' W iShOot
colonies or gold how can Germany get
any share of the world trade? But if
she breaks down the gold standard
in defeating Britain, the bankers Of
the U. S. would be through.
Earnest Bevins labor leader in the
British Parliament says: The noun
tain of gold in the United States may
as we'll be thrown into the Atlantic
when the old system Of money lend
ing ceases, and American finance
knows this.
Is it for that mountain Of gold in
Kentucky that our boys must fight?
Read what the columnists say:
Dorothy Thompson says: This war
is not POPULAR in the United States. |
Raymond Clapper says: 1t (the aid
to-England) program is going forward |
in the face of CONTINUED RESIST
ANCE TO WAR.
Later the same writer says: There |
is no question that we could give
more help-but consider
able public sentiment still stands
against it and the administration hest
tates to oppose it.
Another phrase used war Bottled
up in the barbed wire of a hostile
public opinion
Richard Strout said: Roosevelt's
foreign policy is not popular with a
minority of the public
ONCE 1T BECOMES POPULAR
THEN WE SHALL SAIL STRAIGHT
AHEAD INTO WAR.
Who is to blame for war?
The evidence proves that it is the
People. WE, THE PEOPLE, permit
var by first being Indifferent to
hreats of war, then encourage it by
the war propaganda that
S fed to u.s.