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Show SUTHERLAND ON WILSON Senator Sutherland, responding to a call to speak on "Wilson Kept Us Out of War," delivered the following saliant remarks at a recent meeting at the Hotel Utah: The Democratic slogan, "Thank God for Wilson, Wil-son, he has kept us out of war," is as shallow a cry as ever has been uttered to create false sentiment. sen-timent. So far as Europe is concerned nobody is entitled enti-tled to any credit for keeping us out of war because be-cause no country in Europe wanted war with us and no one in the United States wantep. war with them. As well might some peaceful citizen take credit for keeping two persons from engaging in a physical encounter which both of them were anxious to avoid. The trouble with the administration in its dealing with the European situation has been that it has attempted to enforce our neutral rights by making extravagant threats which we never meant to keep and which the governments of Europe have thoroughly understood would not be kept. This has put us in a ridiculous attitude and has brought about on their part nothing but a feeling of contempt. A nation, like an individual,, individ-ual,, should make no threats which it does not intend in-tend to make good. We have not, with reference to Mexico, however, been kept out of war, but Mr. Wilson has waged war timidly, giving the Mexicans to understand that we would retreat if they strongly resisted. We took Vera Cruz in order to obtain a salute to the flag. Nineteen of our marines were killed and many wounded. One hundred and fifty Mexicans were killed and many wounded. Our guns raked the streets of Vera Cruz with shells. We held the port for several months until Huerta went out and Carranza came in and when Carranza threatened we left. The salute has not been obtained to this day. After the murder of our citizens at Columbus we sent the army into Mexico and many pitched battles have taken place. Our soldiers and citizens have been killed and Mexican soldiers and citizens have been killed in these battles. We were not kept out of war, but war was waged in a timid, weak and intermittent manner. To paraphrase Mr. Root, "we threatened with the fist and struck with the finger." The result of the whole business is we not only have no peace in Mexico, but have brought about a situation that gravely threatens us with war. When the war in Europe ceases, Germany, England and France will insist upon the payment of their claims against Mexico amounting to $400,000,000. They will have the power behind the demand to enforce it the most stupendous military machine the world has ever beheld. They will demand that we compel Mexico to pay or pay ourselves and that we restore peace and order to Mexico or stand to one side and occupy the humiliating position of mere lookers on while they do it. The Monroe doctrine will be in real peril and we shall bo compelled to adopt a policy of resolution and firmness, which has not yet been shown, or see that vital policy of national defense disappear. The question which the voters of this state must ask themselves is not whether they prefer peace to war, because that is a question which answers itself, but whether they desire a firm, courageous policy of "sawing what' we mean and meaning what we say" which will bring lasting peace or a temporizing, weak, vacilating policy which is not calculated to bring lasting peace, but only to postpone post-pone war. |