-V"
The Commoner
'AUGUST, 1918
n
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derstand the kind of business they defend. It is
the kind of business that has been the center of
crime and lawlessness everywhere.
The gentleman speaks of 50,000 home brew
eries in Oregon and Washington. Did those men
who reported them to the convention report them
to the authorities? If there Is any violation of
law out there, why do they not report it to the
authorities? And why is it that he Is so much
opposed to "home brewing," unless it is that it
takes away the profit of the big brewer who had
heretofore supplied them? Gentlemen of the
committee, this is the business, and you can not
cleanse it. You can not wash it; the only place
to clean the saloon is in the morgue, when it lies
in state with its victims.
The Chairman. Colonel Bryan, your nineteen
minutes have expired.
Mr. Bryan. I am very much obliged to you,
for being so patient.
May I add just one. word? I recognize that
we are dealing with an evil, and that that evil
is nearing its end. Whenever we have, by con
stitution or by law, fixed a time for prohibition,
it has generally been fixed in advance; we recog
nize that there is an argument to be made in
favor of giving a reasonable time. Therefore, I
would suggest that, when you stop manufacture
and sale, ydu give a reasonable time it might
he on a sliding scale; they might manufacture
not more than 75 per cent for a certain time;
then not more than 50 per cent; then not more
than 25 per cent; and then nothing; and after
that, a date when complete prohibition will go
into effect. If you think it is necessary to look
after the crop of grapes that is already grown,
that can be provided in the law. The present
rules prevent increased production of beer.
I would prefer the bill to be a separate bill.
But everybody knows that a separate bill is very
difficult to get through in a time of rush,; and it
does not come with good grace from those who
do not want prohibition at any time, to find
fault with the method of getting it. My under
standing is that the .District of Columbia went
dry upon an amendment to a bill; we prohibited
the .manufacture of wliiskey by an amendment
to a bill. The "bone dry" amendment was added
to the postoffice appropriation bill as was the
amendment against liquor advertisements. This
is not an unusual m.rthod; and, Mr.. Chairman
and gentlemen, I repeat, those who are opposed
to prohibition under any circumstances are not
in position to say that those who favor it shall
not secure it by the best method possible.
My suggestion is that the people who want
war prohibition should get together and agree
upon the details of the bill.
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee,
national prohibition by constitutional amend
ment is not far off; but we can not wait even
mat long to protect our country from the rav
ages of the saloon, if we can get war prohibition
sooner. In the interest of the food and fuel
consumed, we should Jiave prohibition immedi
ately; and in the interest of the man power the
saloons destroy, we should have prohibition,
we ought to have it for the men at the front,
t 7rougll.t t0 have Jt for the men at home,
thin ? wInnIn of the war above all other
Sm ld not say one word in favor of
Prohibition if it would operate against our coun-
tw anf,w?y' But l know of no Ste thing
brtnVT d d0 more t0 helD win this war and
Son a victorIous end tnan war prohibi-
hJnll phibtion army should not be disbanded
turS nG C tadGl rUm haB been finally cap
tion ?,n,S?f8B has Postponed a vote on na-
atti?Mf,t,on' and the Plnion ,s Seneral
?tlPk f nSton that if the Prohibition forces
Sim. e!P gUns Victory wiU come- Tne an
the ; 0' oze is necessary to the winning -of
itq Zl hZ Serais of the army have banned
ntn?fy VL soldier? at the front because it
banned It should bp
aeSJ ? y the Industrial army at home for ex
dCy the same reason.
4
thf Tii?2S Sfimtion Is t0 aSain come before
should i? at,es senate on A"Sust 20th. There
aSontinn " 4 nesitancy about its Immediate
lions ?nJ t,B i)oor Judgment to spend mil
leavp IS FoutIne out spies in our midst and
Krain Vwbr?weries of the country to consume
SrhMf f Bhould be used at home to release
BrodfrA?e soldiers in France and to turn out
iffS admIttedly; incapacitate men for
effective military service.
Facts Show Germany
Planned War
Following is a special correspondence to Tho
Christian Science Monitor, Boston, from its
Washington Bureau:
Washington, Th C. Reiteration of the Pan
German demands published recently shows a
perisistent disposition to cling to the old false
hood that the war was forced upon Germany.
For instance, it is noted here by diplomatists
in the last representations from Berlin that the
Pan-Germans will demand in the final account
around the peace table, "a war indemnity com
mensurate with the enormous sacrifices and loss
es of our people."
The tone of this representation is that tho
enemies of Germany took them "by surprise, at
tacked them and forced them to a war for their
self preservation. Tho Christian Science Mon
itor has been able to assemble a number of tho
facts that will be placed before the conference
in answer to the hypocritical claim of Germany
that she was forced into the war. .These facts
speak for themselves. They are as follows:
1. Laws of 1911, 1912, and especially 1913,
increased the German army in time of peace
from 515,000 to 866,000 men. Great increase
of machine-gun corps, aviators, etc. Enormous
stocks of munitions prepared. Exceptional war
tax levied of $226,000,000. Special war fund
(for expense of mobilization, etc.) lincrcagea
from $30,000,000 to $90,000,000.
2. Reconstruction of Kiel canal (connecting
Baltic and North Sea) hastened so as to be
ready in early summer of 1914. Fortifications
of Helgoland, etc., improved.
3. Strategic railways constructed leading to
Belgian, French, and Russian frontiers.
"Germany has made ready, at heavy outlay,
to take the offensive at a moment's notice, and
to throw enormous forces across the territories
of two unoffending and peaceful neighbors
(Belgium and Luxemburg) in her fixed resolve
to break through the northern defenses of
France, and thus to turn the formidable forti
fications of the Vosges. She has prepared for
the day by bringing fully equipped and, admir
ably constructed railways up to her neighbors'
frontiers, and in some places across them. . . .
An immense sum of money has been sunk in
these railways, . . . and there is not the least
prospect of an adequate return on them as com
mercial ventures. They are purely military and
strategical preparations for war with Frarice."
(See Fortnightly Review for February, 1910,
and February, 1914, and New York Times Cur
rent history, II, 1000,1040.)
4. Accumulation of war material, etc. Ex
portation of chemicals used in making explosives
greatly reduced in 1913-14, and importation of
horses, foodstuffs ,and fats (used in nitro
glycerin) greatly increased. Great purchases of
beds and hospital supplies in May, 1914; em
bargo on stocks of foreign pneumatic tires in
Germany; hasty collection of accounts by Ger
man merchants; transfer of bank balances, etc.,
from beginning of July, etc. (See Le Men
songe due 3 Aout, 1914, pp. 9-10.)
"The most important document is a circular
dated June 9, 1914 (in which the German gen
eral headquarters orders all ownerof factories
to open the mobilization envelopes in their pos
session." (Associated Press dispatch, dated
Paris, February 5, 1918, summarizing docu
ments published in the newspaper Le Petit
Parisien. )
'5. Recall of reservists from South America,
etc., in May and June, 1914.
6. Exceptional grand maneuvers of 1914.
Ordered in May, these massed "500,000 men in
Cologne, the Grand Duchy of Baden, and Al
sace Lorraine-for the month of August. (Le
Mensonge du 3 Aout, 1914, p. 9.)
7. Preparations for stirring up revolt in the
British empire. -,,',. v
(a) In South Africa. Reply of the kaiser
fin 1913) to a communication from the future
rebel leader, Colonel Maritz: "I will not only
acknowledge the independence of South Africa,
but I will even guaranty it, provided the rebel
lion is started immediately." (Speech of Gen
eral Botha at Cape Town, July 25, 1915. See
Rose, "Development of the European Nations
' "Vin'BHUsL9 India. On July 81915 in
dictments were brought in the federal court at
San Francisco against 98 porsontf, Jnclttdin
German consuls, at which time tho' federal dis
trict attorney said: "For more than a year prior
to the outbreak of the European war, certain
Hindus in San Francisco and cortain Germans
wore preparing openly for war with England. At
the outbreak of the war Hindu leaders, mem
bers of tho German consulate hero, and attaches
of the German government, began to form plans
to foment revolution in India for tho purpose
of freeing India and aiding Germans in their
military operations." The leaders of these de
fendants pleaded guilty to tho charges against
them In December, 1917. (See War Cyclopodial
under German Intrigue Against American
Peace.")
"Consideration of all testimony leads to the
conviction that tho India plot now before tho
federal court hero (In Chicago) is but a very
Nsmall part of tho whole conspiracy Tho
defendants appear to have traveled far and wide
in promotion of their alleged work. And al
ways, testimony indicates, German consuls were
aware of what was going on and ready to give
things '& push. Pro-Germanism all over ' the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Hawaii,
Manila, China, Indo-China, Siam, Java, .and va
rious parts of Africa has been brought into the
case. No part, according to the testimony,
seems to have been detached. All blended into
the whole scheme, which is alleged to have had
its inspiration and propulsion in Berlin." (The
Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 19, 1917.)
8. Coaling arrangements made for German
naval vessels (Juno 14, 1914).
"A Gorman crusier, tho Eber, was In dock
at Cape Town a few days before the outbreak
of war, and got away just in time. An inter
cepted letter addressed to tho commander con
tained certain instructions from Berlin, which
were dated Juno 14, 1914. These instructions
revealed a complete system for coaling the Ger
man navy on tho outbreak of war through se
cret service agents in Capo Town, New York,
and Chicago.
"Tho commander of the Eber was given the
names of shippers and bankers with whom he
could deal confidentially, the essence of the plan
being that a collier would leave Table Bay iCapo
Colony) ostensibly bound for England but re
ally to meet a German warship at an agreed -
rendezvous. 'Naturally, so far as Cape Town is
concerned, the arrangements have been upset
owing to the discovery, and this, perhaps, ex
plains why German cruisers have been more in
evidence in north Atlantic waters than in the
southern ocean." (Cape Town correspondent
of The London Times, issue of Oct. C, 1914.)
The profiteer doesn't care how many harsh
words are said about him or how many denun
ciatory resolutions are passed by convent'ons. If
he could be reached through his humanity or
his regard for the public welfare he wouldn't be
a profiteer. It is only when a man steps for
ward with a program that will improve mark
eting facilities and eliminate useless middlemen
that he sits up and takes notice and sends out
his political missionaries begging people not to
do anything to "interfere with the winning of
the war."
In California the greater part of the p.ower
Used is in the form of hydro-electric energy,
and that part generated from coal is in the na
ture of an emergency or supplementary acr
vice. California is located so far from the fuel
deposits of the country that she early devel
oped her water power. The scarcity. of fuel
the country over points to the fact that we have
one big job just ahead of us, and that is har
nessing the Btreams of the nation wherevpr this
is practicable. .
Everybody wishes he was of the cheerful, op
timistic nature of the gent who writes the war
bulletins for the German government. He said
not long ago, "We retired from south ,vf. th
Marne unnoticed." When It Is recalled that
about 20,000 Germans were captured anil more
than twice that number killed or wounded, .ono
can see readily how difficult It is to attract no
tice during a battle.
We have always been proud of our manufac
turing industry in this country, but the addi
tion of 8,000 new millionaires to our preyiou
list of 14,696 during the last year does not rejp
resent a sort of output that calls for three chr
on the part of the people whoso forced eostrt
butions achieved this result.
H
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