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The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL 15, NO. 5
Lincoln, Nebraska, May, 1915
Whole Number 673
AMERICA FIRST
On another page will bo found a speech de
livered by the president in New York on April
20th at a luncheon by the Associated Press. It
is one o the most important speeches made by
President Wilson since he entered upon the du
ties of the chief executive. The occasion was such
as to call out an important utterance being
the annual meeting of a great news association
whoso influence extends beyond the confines of
the country. The time was propitious also the
man and tho hour met.
Whila.the address is full of meat and abounds
in seed-thoughts, there are three ideas which
stand out as of special importance.
First: The necessity for a REAL NEUTRAL
ITY: "The basis of neutrality, gentlemen, is not in
difference; it is not self-interest. The basis of
neutrality is sympathy for mankind. It is fair
ness, if is good will at bottom. It is impartial
ity of spirit and of judgment.
"I wish that all of our fellow citizens could"
realize that. There is in some quarters a dis-t
position to create distempers in this body pol
itic. Men are even uttering slanders against the
United States, as if to excite her. Men are say
ing that if wo should go to war upon either side
there would bo a divided America an abom
inable libel of ignorance! America is nob all of
it, vocal just now. It is vocal in spoto.
"But I, for one, have a complete and abiding
faith in that great silent body of Americans who
are not standing up and shouting and express
ing their opinions just now, but are waiting to
find out and support the duty of America. v I am
just as sure of their solidity and of their loyalty
and of their unanimity, if we act justly, as I am
that the history of this country has at every
crisis and turning point illustrated this great
lesson."
Second: The importance ot confirming "ru-
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CONTENTS
AMERICA FIRST
THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
THE PRESIDENT'S ADVICE ON NEU
TRALITY TREASURY OFFICIALS AND THE BANK
SUIT
THE CASE AGAINST ALCOHOL
THE PREPAREDNESS OF THE NAVY
4
PAN-AMERICA ENDORSES PEACE
PLAN
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE
PROSPERITY WITH DEMOCRATIC
RULE
WORK OF THE PRESIDENT'S CABINET
mors" on international matters before they are
given to tho public:
"I wanted to point out to you gentlemen simply
this: There is news and news. Thero is what
is called news from Turtlo Bay that turns out
to bo falsehood, at any rato in what it is said to
signify, but which, if you could get the nation to
believo it true, might disturb our equilibrium
and our self-possession. Wo ought not to deal
in stuff of that kind. We ought not to permit
that sort of thing to use up tho electrical en
ergy of tho wires, because its energy is malign,
its energy is not of the truth, its onergy is of
mischief. It is possible to sift truth.
"I have known some things to go out on tho
wires as true when there was only ono man or
ono group of men who could have told tho orig
inators of that report whether it was true or not,
and they were not asked whether it was true or
not for fear it might not bo true. That sort of
voport ought not to go out over tho wires.
"Thero is generally, if not always somebody
who knows whether that thing is so or not, and
in these days, above all other days, wo ought to
take particular pains to resort to the one small
group of men or to tho one man if there be but
one, who knows whether those things are true
or not. The world ought to know tho truth;
the world ought not at this period of unstable
equilibrium to be disturbed by, rumor, ought not
to be disturbed by imaginative combinations of
circumstances, or, rather, by circumstances stated
in combination which do not belong in combina
tion." Third: America first:
"So that I am not speaking In a selfish spirit
when I say that our whole duty, for the present
at any rate, is summed up in this motto: 'Amer
ica first.' Let us think of America before wo
think of Europe, in order that America may bo
fit to be Europe's friend when the day of tested
friendship comes. The test of friendship is not
now sympathy with the one side or the other,
but getting ready to help both sides when tho
struggle is over. .
"What I try to remind myself of every
day when I am almost overcome by perplexities,
what I try to remember, is what the people at
home are thinking about. I try to put myself in
the place of the man who does not know all tho
things that I know and ask myself what he would
like the policy of this country to bo. Not the
talkative man, not the partisan man, not tho
man who remembers first that he Is a republican
or a democrat, or that his parents were German
or English, but the man who remembers first
that the whole destiny of modern affairs centers
largely upon his being an American first of all.
"If I permitted myself to be a partisan in this
present struggle, I would be unworthy to rep
resent you. If I permitted myself to forget the
people who aro not partisans, I would be un
worthy to be your spokesman. I am not sure
that I am worthy to represent you, but I do claim
this degreo of worthiness that before every
thing else I lovo America."
Here aro three pertinent thoughts real neu
trality; news that is news; and America first
and the greatest of these is the last mentioned
because it embraces the other two-1-lfan Amer
ican citizen has a proper conception of his obli
gation to his country he will bo neutral In EX
PRESSION that Is ontlroly possible and nou
tral in thought, as far as possible Tho pres
ident's duties have been mado moro delicate and
difficult than they would otherwise have been,
by tho partisan action of those Americans who
have engaged in tho discussion of tho merits of
tho European controversy and, by denunciation
of ono side, called forth denunciation of tho
other.
Tho American citizen who properly regards
his obligations to his country will neither orig
inate nor put into circulation falso rumors af
fecting international relations, and to circulate
rumors not known to be true is almost as repre
hensible as the circulation of news known to be
untrue. The newspaper UuU finds profit in stir
ring up unfriendliness between nations puts lovo
of money above patriotism.
Tho president has rendered a valuablo ser
vice to his country In using so pcrtinont an oc
casion for the delivery of an announcement so
pregnant with thought and so representative of
tho high ideals for which he stands. Our nation
occupies a position of raro responsibility and it
is the imperative duty of its citizenship to con-w
sidcr that responsibility and to assist
tho president to so completely retain
tho confidence of all the belligerent na
tions as to give to our nation's counsel the max
imum of weight and influence. By thinking of
America first and by considering tho highest
interests of this country we can most help those
who are unhappily engaged in the terrible strug
gle that rages across the waters.
W. J. BRYAN.
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A CALL TO THE COLORS
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Tho world is aroused to the mennco of
alcohol war has been declared aguinst
it in every civilized land and thero Is no
neutral ground. I cull you to the colors
-to tho standard raised by the National
Abstainers Union for "Health and Home
and Humanity." Rise! Let us pledge
our support to tho cause in water in
water, tho daily need of every living
thing. It ascends from tho seas, obedi
ent to tho HQinmons of the sun, and, de
scending, showers blessings upon tho
earth; it gives of Its sparkling beauty to
the fragrant flower; its alchemy trans- 0
mutes base clay into golden grain; it is
tho canvas upon which tho finger of the
Infinite traces the radiant bow of prom-
fee. It is tho drink tiiat refreshes and
adds no sorrow with it Jehovah looked
upon it at Creation's dawn and said 0
"It is good." From Mr. Bryan's ad- 0
dress at Carnegie hall, New York, April
30, 1915. 0
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