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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1915)
r9CTWwvw ' The Commoner MARCH, 1915' Admiral Dewa's Visit The visit which Admiral Baron Dewa, of Japan, paid to the United States was the occa sion of a number of dinners given to him and one dinner given by him. Ho had opportunity to meet the political, naval and military leaders of the country. At a dinner given him by the secretary of state, the admiral delivered a felicit ous and appropriate address, of which the fol lowing is a copy: ADMIRAL DEWA'S ADDRESS "Mr. Secretary and Gentlemen: "It is indeed a source of great pleasure that, since my landing on these shores. I have, had thu good fortune to observe the generous outflow of America's cordial feeling toward us Japanese. That it has culminated in this courteous enter tainment by a statesman whose fame is known in the most distant lands, and who occupies the most important portfolio, in the present cabinet. I consider it a special honor. Originally I was charged with the mission of representing the Japanese navy at the cere monies of the Panama canal. That gigantic iu teroceanic waterway could only have boon con structed by the unrivaled energy and unlimited wealth of this mighty republic. It is the great est feat of science the human being has ever attempted. And I assure ypu the American people may very well be proud 'of this herculean undertaking. But above all do I feel an ineffable joy that the opening of this great waterway brings together the eastern and western seas; that it will create not only a closer commercial relation but a better and fuller understanding between nations and races, which will dispel all the darkening and mischievous mists of preju dice and unwarranted apprehension. The canal will no doubt exercise an enormous influence on the movement towards world peace. When I was first entrusted with the present mission, there fore, I felt like an envoy to some international peace conference, and regarded myself as ex ceedingly fortunate. "As an officer I have had opportunities to be personally engaged in battle. Having witnessed, nay. having actually taken part in, the terrible tragedies of war, I am sure I do feel more keenly and earnestly than average civilians the necessity .of the advent of world peace. I am grateful to learn, therefore, that the American people, and particularly our host today, are doing their ut most in the interest of international peace and good-will. "Allow me, Mr. Secretary and gentlemen, here to reiterate my deep gratitude for the courteous treatment accorded me ev r since my arrival in this country, and to assure you that I shall not fail to be the faithful interpreter to my August Master and to my people, of the kind thought of the government and the people of the United States toward my nation." Just before leaving Washington the admiral gave, at his apartments in The Shoreham, an elaborate dinner at which the secretary of state made the closing address, which was as follows: MR. BRYAN'S ADDRESS "Admiral Dewa and Gentlemen: "It is fitting that some response should be made to the gracious and eloquent words spoken by our distinguished guest and I am prepared to justify the presumption of which I am guilty In rising to speak for those who are present. It is true that Admiral Dewa is by PROFESSION a man of arms, but he is by DISPOSITION a man of peace. By official title he is one of the great admirals of his country's navy, but he has the smile of a diplomat and I claim him for the state department. "Some nine days ago it was my pleasure to address a word of greeting to our distinguished visitor, from Japan and now as he is about to lea've the capital I reluctantly bid him adieu. We welcomed him with gratification; we bid him Godspeed as he departs. I am glad, he has had an opportunity to become acquainted with the chief executive of our nation; with those whom the president has summoned about him as his advisors; with the members of the senate and the house; with our judiciary; and with those who represent the army and the navy. I notice that at this dinner the representatives of the army and navy seem to be in the majority, and it Is well for the admiral that he should see our army and navy at a banquet for it appears relatively larger on such occasions than anywhere else. He, will not see much evidence of military life as he travels through the country, but he must not make the mstako of thinking that wo are lack ing in soldiers. "When a famous Greek was asked why his city had no walls, ho repliedpointing to tho people "These are tho walls of my city and every cit izen is a brick." So wo may say that the people are our army. Wo have more than fifteen mil lion adult men in this country; very few of them wear uniforms, but all of them are availablo when tho country needs volunteers. "I trust that our visitor will not content him self with seeing tho nation's capital. Wo hero are but tho servants of a great people tho ad miral should see tho masses at work. Ho should visit ojir cities and our villages; our factories and our farms; our schools and our collogos. The more intimately he becomes acquanted with the economic, the social, the political, tho moral and tho religious life of tho nation, the moro fa vorable will bo the report that ho will carry back to his country. He will find that wo are endeav oring to shape our international policy according to the philosophy which wo apply to daily life. As individuals, wo believe that each citizen should rejoice in his neighbor's prosperity with out stopping to calculate how ho snail share that prosperity, or how soon ho shall receive it. In like manner we believe that no nation can make a legitimate use of Its resources without impart ing its prosperity to a greater or less extent with its neighbors. We not only regard it as a duty but we esteem it to be our interest, to extend tho hand of sincere friendship to all other nations. We are the friend of all and for no country do we entertain a kindlier feeling than for Japan. It was an American who knocked at tho closed door of Japan moro than a half-century ago and, as a friend, brought her into association with tho outside world. Tho ocean which rolls between us is not a barrier, but a great highway, free to all. "Japan has made wonderful progress, and we have rejoiced with her in each step that she has taken. We bid our visitor carry back with him our greetings and good wishes. Lot the rivalry between the United States and the Land of the Rising Sun bo a rivalry in good works and in great accomplishments a rivalry inspiring and profitable to both." International law is faring very badly at tho hands of the warring nations, none of which seems to have time, before deciding to do a thing, to look it up in the book and see if that is the way to do it. Before tho war is ended the ex perts on international law are likely to bo in tho embarrassing position of the law student, under going an examination, who admitted his Inabil ity to answer questions propounded to him, but who .said ho knew the state statutes by heart. The examiner replied by suggesting that he was exposing himself to tho danger of having all he knew repealed any .time by the state legislature. A hearing is in progress before tho interstate commerce commission at Chicago upon the re quest of forty-one railroads for permission to in crease their rates about 10 per cent. Among the number are the Burlington, which pays 8 per cent dividends every year, and tho Union Pacific, which never falls below 10 per cent. Apparent ly there are degrees of poverty as well as of riches. When men who assume to be state leaders of the democracy spend months around the halls wherein a democratic legislature Is engaged in the effort to redeem party pledges, trying to in duce the passage of legislation desired by tho special interests, it is pertinent to inquire just how much of their assumption Is presumption and who it is that they are actually represent ing. Evidence is accumulating that the big men in the liquor trade in America are not as blind to what.is'going on as their political representa tives have led the public to believe. A New York wholesaler advised a customer not to invest money in a costly drinking place in that city, telling him that "in ten years we will all be out of business." An English physician gives voice to the opinion that small men make better soldiers than large men, and that it is folly to reject volunteers be cause, of their size. As there ar more small men than largo men in the country, this tribute to their potential bravery is likely to make its author more popular in England than Lord Kitchener. ritoiiiuiTfox m iowa Tho recent action of tho Iowa legislature in bringing about state wide prohibition by enact ment and tho adoption of a resolution submit" ting tho question of constitutional prohibition to bo voted upon nt tho next general election, is additional proof of tho widespread prohibition wave that Is swooping over tho country. We reproduco below a vory Interesting article writ ton by Hon. II. C. Evans, of Dos Moines, Iowa, giving tho history of tho fight against tho saloon in that state The article follows: PROHIBITION IN IOWA On February fifteenth tho elghty-nlx saloons of Dcs Moines closed tholr doors forever. Public sentiment In Don Moines wns at fever heat against the grog shops, and the city council, by unanimous voto, refused to oxtend their license. Within a week after, tho Iowa legislature passed an act providing for statc-wldo prohibition nftor January 1, 1916, and a resolutlon'submitting the question of constitutional prohibition to a voto of tho peoplo. A generation ago, In 1882, tho question of prohibiting tho sale of intoxicating liquors In Iowa by constitutional amendment was submit ted to a voto of tho people. Tho voto was, for prohibition, 155,4.10; against, 125,077, a major ity of 29,759 against the saloon. Later It was discovered that tho words "or to bo used," In tho act that passed tho legislature were omitted in tho proposition submitted to tho electorate, and the courts held .the election Invalid. For a generation tho people of Iowa asked In vain for another opportunity to voto on the question. Tho whisky fight In Iowa has been long and bitter. A generation ago tho shibboleth of the republican party was "A school houso on every hill top and no saloon in tho valley." When the prohibitory amendment was declared void by the courts, a republican legislature and governor enacted a law prohibiting the sale of Intoxicating liquor as a beverage. Protesting against this law, the democrats twice elected Horace Boles governor, but they never succeeded In controll ing tho legislature. After defeating Boles In the third campaign, the republicans, fearing future defeats, passed tho famous Mulct law which provided that In tho event a majority of the voters In any Incor porated town or city signed a petition consenting to the operation of saloons, then tho general pro hibition law stood suspended. Under this plan, saloons were operated In some eighty counties. Gradually, however, tho prohibition forces drove tho saloons out of county after county, until today there are but twelve counties In the state whoro they are operated. During most of these years the democratic party in state platforms reiterated tho demand for local option. The sentiment against the sa- loons, however, was growing among democrats, and In 1912 the anti-saloon element joined issue with their opponents in the state convention at Cedar Rapids, and by an overwhelming vote dis carded local option as tho democratic creed. While Horace Boies was elected governor In 1889 and 1891 on local option platforms, no man in any party could muster 40,000 votes on such a platform today. As an indication of further change In senti ment in the democratic party in Iowa, It is noted that the fathers of the prohibition bill In both houso and senate are democrats. George W. Crozier, of Knoxvlllo, introduced tho bill and led the fight for prohibition in the house, while the real leader of the prohibiton forces in tho legis lature was Senator John T. Clarkson, a dem ocrat from Albla. While a majority of the dem ocratic members did not voto for immediate pro hibition, a majority of them, in both house and senate, did vote for re-submission of tho consti tutional amendment. This action of tho legislature practically takes the liquor question out of politics in Iowa. No party will dare oppose the most stringent pro hibition. Every party will either take an opea stand for prohibition, or remain silent on the question. The saloon is gone from Iowa forever. Bills are pending in the legislature prohibiting drug stores from selling intoxicants and making boot legging a penitentiary offense. The New York Tribune pompously announced the other day that President Wilson is a "fail ure." And then some one was unkind enough to look up the old files of the Tribune and found recorded therein the solemn declaration of its then editor that Abraham Lincoln was a failure I il t&jJ&&A&4M?