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The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL. 16, NO. 3
Lincoln, Nebraska, March, 1916
Whole Number 683
The Preparedness
. Program
The lax-payers are now able to sit in judg
ment upon the preparedness program. The army
experts ask for 500 millions for the first year
and 319 millions per year thereafter. This is
for tho army.
The Navy board, according to Admiral Fletch
er (Bee press dispatches printed March 9th) asks
for one billion and a half to put the navy in
proper shape, and then 760 millions per year
thereafter to keep it up. This is not for an
"incomparably" greater, navy, such as the Pres
ident asked for, but simply for a navy that will
EQUAL any other navy afloat by 1925, and it Is
for a navy to equal other navies as they are
NQW not as they will be after we spur them
on by our new policy,
In .other words, ,trhe Armv board-. andvNavy
boardfc.nowdemand that the annual appropria-
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0 THE MEXICAN SITUATION
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President 'Wilson, at tho close of a
meeting with the cabinet March 10, dic
tated and made public the following
statement:
"An adequate force will bo sent at
once in pursuit of Villa with the single
object of capturing him and putting a
stop to his forays. This can and will bo
dono in entirely friendly aid of tho con
stituted authorities in Mexico and with
scrupulous respect for the sovereignty
of that republic."
V
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tions forvaTrmyXanuavyi-sbaii, be MORE THAN.
QUADRtlBUED, arricL that.. we shallpermarifciiti
spend OVER- ONE BII&ION per year on'army
and navy. .THIS IS MORE THAlTJWIpE 4'HE;
NET INCOJpTECEIVE'D BY ALL" the farmers
of tho United States from all their crops and
yet the jingoes think that any man who objects
to tho program is a "white-Jivered coward."
W. J. BRYAN.
the Warning resolution
They have had a great excitement in congress
over warning Americans to keep off armed mer
chantmen and, according to the press dispatches,
the senate and house "stood by the President."
The Gore resolution in the senate provided that
passports should be denied to Americans trav
eling on belligerent ships this was laid on the
table, together with a substitute declaring that
the killing of an American under those circum
stances would be an act of war.
In the house the McLemore resolution was
laid on the table the tabling resolution declar
ing that the house "knows" that the President
will lay the subject before the house for its ac
tion if he can not settle the matter successfully
by diplomacy.
Thus ends the controversy for the time being
without decisive action either way: The Pres
ident asked for a free hand and complained that
the discussions in "congress were embarrassing
him. By laying the 'Gore and McLemore reso
lutions on the table, congress POSTPONES dis
cussion for the present, but there was no vote
on the real question: "Shall an American citi
zen be permitted to drag his country into war by
traveling upon an armed merchantman in the
danger zone?"
If the President had asked the opinion of con
gress on this subject, an overwhelming majority
itf both houses would havo voted "No." The
PRESIDENT KNOWS THIS NOW and HE
KNOWS THAT CONGRESS WILL NOT RESORT
Interview given out by Mr. Bryan at
South Bend, Ind., March 10:
"I cordially approve of tho position taken
by the President in the Mexican matter
as that position is reported in this' after
noon's paper namely that he will send
troops across the border to overtake and
punish those who wore guilty of tho out
rage against an American cpmmunity;
but 'will not intervene in the affairs of
"I am glad, he Is not 'permitting the..
,J5). men . whbfikiTjii bett .ad,yo4tinr intervene
is) tipn for two years'-td'forcelilmMnto in-
tervention now, however exasperating
0 th0 attack on Columbus. The parties
making the attack are in insurrection
against the government of Mexico arid
0 we can not therefor consider this an act
0 of war on the part of the Mexican gov-
ernment. Outlaws who are being hunted
by their own government do not speak
for their country and can not justly be-
0 come a causo of war."
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TO WAR AS A MEANS OP SETTLING THIS
CONTROVERSY.
If he can reach ah amicable settlement of the
submarine dispute without war, the country will
be happy. It is not fair to assume that he will
ask the country to go to war to vindicate the
right of an American to make a fool of himself
by riding on an armed merchantman.
W. J. BRYAN.
CONTENTS
THE PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM
PLANNING FOR WORLD PEACE
DISTINCTION WITHOUT A DIFFER
ENCE MAYOR BRYAN'S CANDIDACY
THE REAL TEST
IS OUR COUNTRY SAFE FROM ATTACK?
OPPOSE RULE OF SPECIAL INTERESTS
A SINGLE STANDARD OF MORALITY
EQUAL SUFFRAGE
MORE FACTS ABOUT PREPAREDNESS
CONCERNING "PREPAREDNESS"
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Planning for World
Peace
Numerous plans are being made with a view
to proventing futuro wars. Tho spirit Is laud
ablo and many of tho plans embody suggestions
that may fit Into a comprehonslvo plan. The
plan most prominently spoken of Is that put for
ward by the Loaguo to Enforco Peace, of which
ox-President Taft is the executive head. The
trouble about this plan is that it ALLIES US
WITH THE NATIONS OF THE OLD WORLD
AND COMPELS US TO JOIN IN WAR WITH
THEM TO ENFORCE THE FINDINGS OF THE
INTERNATIONAL BODY, when these FIND
INGS ARE NOT ACQUIESCED IN. We could not,
of course, hope to oxort a controlling influence in.
such a body; wo would, therefore, be at the
mercy of tho European nations and would be
undertook. -In otlrar words,' we wotiid ptttftfar
army and navy at the seryice of European mon
arcUsand'reV?;to.fufilih the men. and tlie
money with which to fl'gM 'out their quarrels'if
it so happened that they, took advantage of our
strength and decided to make uso Of us In this
way.
Tho plan as it has been set forth would also
require the abandonment of the Monroe Doctrine,
because we could not have a voice in the settle
ment o European disputes without giving the
European nations a voice in settling the disputes
of the western t hemisphere. The plan as pro
posed would therefore be objectionable. First;
because it would involve an international alli
ance with European nations. Second; because
it would involve abandonment of the Monroe
Doctrine. Third; it would violate our constitu
tion by transferring from congress to an inter
national organization, the power to declare war,
and, fourth, it would convert us from a moral
influence into a policeman for the enforcement
of order across the Atlantic. :
It might be possible, however, to so amend
the above plan as to eliminate some of the ob
jections without lessening its effectiveness. First;
let all the nations agree to the organization of a
court to which will be referred all questions of
an international character, when these questions
can not be settled by diplomacy. Second; let
the decisions be enforceable by two groups, the
nations of tho western hemisphere enforcing,
without European aid, the decisions relative to
differences between the nations of the wesTern
hemisphere, providing a majority of the western
nations approve of the decision, the nations of
the eastern hemisphere agreeing to enforce de
cisions relating to the disputes between the na
tions of the eastern hemisphere, providing a
majority of the nations approve of such decision.
If the Asiatic nations are not willing jto join
with the European nations in such an agree
ment, the plan could provide for a thir group
compose'd of the Asiatic nations, and they could,