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No Loans to Belligerents
Tho announcement mado by this government
that it regards the making of loans by American
citizens to the governments of nations engaged in
-war as Inconsistent with the spirit of neutrality,
lias created a profound Impression throughout
tho world. It Is the first time that a great na
tion has taken this stand on the subject of war
Joans. The matter has been discussed at The
Hague and at peace conferences, but it encoun
tered so much opposition that nothing tangible
has resulted. Tho president, therefore, blazes a
new way when, without conferehce with other
nations and without support from conventions,
ho commits this nation to this policy.
It IS inconsistent with the spirit of neutrality
for a neutral nation to make loans to belligerent
nations, for money Is the worst of contrabands
it commands all other things. A very forcible
Illustration has been used in support of this
.proposition, namely, that as a noutral govern
ment does alL in its power to discourage its citi
ens from enlisting in the armies of other coun
tries, it should discourage those who by loaning
money would do more than tluy could by en
listing. Tho government withdraws the pro
tection of citizenship from those who do enlist
under other nags why should it give protection
to money when it enters into foreign military
service? There is only one answer.
But there are other reasons. The European
war is imposing a burden upon all the neutral
nations as well as those engaged in the conflict.
If tho United States were to loan money to the
belligerent nations, it would be less able to as
sist the neutrals, and it has already received
notice from neutral nations that desire loans.
Wo are under special obligation to render such
service as we can to South and CentTal America;
it would be difficult to do this if all of our sur
plus money was flowing into the war chests of
Europe.
Then, too, our own country might be em
barassed by loans to the belligerents. Already
a material reduction has been made in tho gov
ernment's income from import duties owing to
the partial suspension of commerce. If the war
is prolonged it may become necessary for the
government to issue bonds, and foreign loans
might so affect the local market as to. compel a
higher rate of interest.
There are still other reasons, but these are
enough to show that the president's course was
abundantly justified enough to show also that
in this case, as in nearly every other case, a
stand taken upon moral grounds is supported, by
considerations of a material character.
W. J. BRYAN.
AN ENCOURAGING SHOWING
Tho revenue roturns from distilled spirits and
'fermented liquors for the year ending Juno 30,
1914, aro now available, and it is interesting to
compare them with the returns for preceding
yoaVB.
' Beldw will bo found tho returns for the five
'years 1910 to 1914, inclusive:
' " Distilled Spirits
(including Fermented
brandy) Liquors
1910 . ...:'.. $141, 523,554.00 $59,485,110.82
1911 148,000,212.34 G3,210,851.24
1912 . ...... 149,409,408.07 02,108,033.39
1913 157,542,061.75 65,245,544.40
1914 153,052,351.38 60,105,444.05
From these figures it will be seen that tho tax
collected on distilled spirits rose from $141,500,
000 in 1910 to $157,500,000 in 1913, or an in
crease of $16,000,000 an average increase of
$4,000,000 a year. The returns for 1914, how
ever, show a decrease of $4,500,000 a differ
ence of $8,500,000 as compared with what might
havo.boen expected had the average increase
continued.
During the same period the revenues from
fermented liquors increased from $59,500,000 in
1910 to $65,250,000 in 1913, an Increase of
almost $0,000,000, or an average of more than
a million and a half a year. The receipts for
1914 were $66,105,444.65, an increase of only
$860,000, or a little more than half the average
increaso of the four years preceding. What is
the cause? It is certainly an encouraging show
ing and justifies the total abstainers-in redoubl
ing their efforts to diminish the use of alcohol.
important committees primarily charged with
the consideration of legislation of high moment
to the country. There should be no doubt about
his re-election. It is of the highest importance
that a democratic majority should be maintained
in both houses of congress, for if that should not
be so it would make it impossible for the. pres
ident and congress to move on independently and
unhampered in the great constructive work still
remaining to be done. But even though both
houses should remain democratic the defeat of
the senator from Missouri would still be a dis
tinct loss. This is a time when the country
stands in especial need of the counsel and ser
vice of experienced and well tried public servants,
like the senator from Missouri. Let every demo
crat in Missouri make it his business to ensure
tho re-election of Senator Stone.
W. J. BRYAN.
SENATOR STONE
Senator William J. Stone of Missouri has been
nominated by the democrats at the recent state
primary for a third election by a majority over
both his opponents of about 112,000 and by a
plurality of about 150,000. Up to March, 1913,
the democratic party was in the minority in tho
senate. During his service as a minority mem-
ber, Senator Stone's work in opposing objection
able measures urged by republicans, and in striv
ing in tho interest of the people for constructive
legislation along democratic lines, won for him
self an enviable position in tho esteem and con
fidence of his colleagues in tho -senate and of
his constituents in Missouri. Since the incoming
of President Wilson's administration, Senator
Stone has at all times been the loyal friend of
the administration and has rendered valuable
services in pushing forward the great construc
tive work accomplished during this period. He
is at tho head of tho groat committee on foreign
relations, and ranks next to tho chairman of the
committee on finance these being two of the
most important and powerful committees of the
senate and he Is also a member nf ovnrni nfi,m.
PEACE RESTORED IN SANTO DOMINGO
The insurrection which has disturbed Santo
Domingo for months has been brought to an
end by the unanimous acceptance of President
Wilson's plan and tho installation of a pro
visional president upon whom all factions agree.
The new president is the head of the university
and a man of high character. An election will
be held shortly which the United States will
oversee, and the people of Santo Domingo will
thus enjoy what they have long desired namely
an opportunity to select their own president by
a free and fair ballot. Henceforth Santo Domin
.go will enjoy peace and prosperity. Another
victory for the democratic administration.
THE TRADE COMMISSION
The first step toward the overthrow of the
trusts has been taken. It is to be found in the
creation of the trade commission which will re--Xitt
corporations which are legitimate, and pro
hibit the formation of combinations which are
criminal in purpose or harmful in practice This
is a beginning and a good beginning, too.' The
private monopoly is doomed.
THE WAR TAX
The president's message to congress, recom
mend ng the levy of a war tax was cordially re
ceived and his advice will be promptly followed
The president and congress have worked together
even when there was no great emergency to co
erce them into unity; there will be no distention
now when the exigencies of the world's greatest
war compel a resort to new forms of taxation
One of the things that persuaded Brand Whit
lock to accept the post of minister to Belchim
was the opportunity of getting out of partisan
politics and browsing about the libraries and irJ
museums of Brussels and Louvajn. it hn8 not
yet been deoided against whom Minister Whit
lock has the best cause of action for damages
00
PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION ASKS
PRAYER FOR PEACE
-.'
By the President of the United States
of America, a Proclamation:
Whereas, great nations of the world
have taken up arms against one another,
and war now draws millions of men into
battle whom the counsels of statesmen
have not been able to save from the ter
rible sacrifice; and
Whereas, in this, as in all things, it is
our privilege and duty to seek counsel
and succor of Almighty God, humbling
ourselves before Him, confessing our
weakness and our lack of any wisdom
equal to these things; and
Whereas, it is the especial wish and
longing of the people of the Uniteu
States in prayer and counsel and a,;i
friendliness to serve the .cause of peace;
Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, Presi
dent of the United States of America,
do designate Sunday, the fourth day of
October next, a day of prayer and suppli
cation, and .do request all God-fearing
persons to repair on that day to their
places of worship, there to unite their
petitions to Almighty fc God that, overrul-
ing the counsel or men, setting straight
the things they can not govern or alter,
taking pity on the nations now in the
throes of conflict, in Ts mercy and good
ness showing a way where men can see
none, He vouchsafe his children healing
peace again and restore once more that
concord among men and nations, without
which there can be neither happiness nor
true friendship, nor any wholesome fruit
of toil or thought in the world; praying
also to this end that He forgive us our
sins, our ignorance of His holy will, our
wilfulness and many errors, and lead us
in the paths of obedience to places of
vision and to thoughts and counsels that
urge and make wise. ''
In witness whereof, I hav'-hereunto
set my hand and caused the seal- of the
United States to be affixed-.
Done at the city of Washington this
eighth day of September, in the year of
our Lord one thousand nine hundred
and fourteen, and of the independence of
the United States of America the one
hundred and thirty-ninth.
WOODROW WILSON.
. By the President,
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN,
Secretary of State. .
.0.(SS
With the great nations of Europe, from which
come most of our imports, engaged in a deadly
-conflict, American manufacturers have the op
portunity of their lives to demonstrate what a
splendid thing for the nation a home market
is for the people. The iHrst thing that happened,
it will be noted, was an increase in the price of
manufactured -goods. Absence of foreign com
petition is given by the Philadelphia Public
Ledger as the reason for this increase. A high
tariff also causes an absence of foreign competi
tion, and if that is a good reason for increased
prices in one instance, it certainly is in the
other. . .
Merely as a matter of strategy the republican
leaders announce that while they propose to re
capture a number .of seats in congress now held
by democrats, th'ey. consider at the best policy
to confine their gains to just enough to scare the
democrats and not win enough to secure a ma
. jority. This may be fairly taken as the measure
of their greatest hopes, because it will be im
possible to pick out a single district where they
have ever had a chance where every effort will
not be put forward to win.
The effect of the wct upon prices has been
such as to make the cost-of-living - debate be
tween the political orators, this fall a mere
jumble of arguments and facts. Present prices
5anj. !?? use(1 t0 Prove almost anything, while in
fact they prove nothing except that all signs fail
in war times.
If
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it impossible to avoid devastating wars, why not
give the women a chance to express themselves?
They could not do worse.