AN EVERLASTING WRONG
An Everlasting Wrong WHEN the Navy Appropriation Bill was before the United States Senate, I offered an amendment for Uhe purpose of preventing the Navy of the United States, in so far as the new...
...There is not one of them that is keeping up with the destructive forces...
...Such investment must be under the laws of the country, subject to the same conditions that apply to the natives of the counry in the protection of their property and the enforcement of their rights...
...If money is to be spent to make their foreign risks secure, let it be their own money...
...When our capitalists take their money out of this country to stake it on the turn of fortune's wheel in some foreign land, let them take the gambler's chance...
...Many of their battleships are at the bottom of the sea...
...Only eight Senators voted for this amendment...
...An Everlasting Wrong WHEN the Navy Appropriation Bill was before the United States Senate, I offered an amendment for Uhe purpose of preventing the Navy of the United States, in so far as the new ships to be constructed under that bill are concerned, from being used to collect the debts of speculative investors in Mexico and in Central and South American countries...
...If lives are to be risked to protect their Mexican mines—their Central and South American concessions—let it be their own lives that take the hazard...
...The Senators who voted against this amendment are: Ashurst, Bankhead, Brandegee, Broussard, Chilton, Cummins, DuPont, Fletcher, Gallinger, Hollis, Husting, James, Johnson (Maine), Kern, Lee (Maryland), Lewis, Lippitt, Lodge, Martin (Virginia), Myers, Nelson, Oliver, Overman, Penrose, Phelan, Poindexter, Pomerene, RansdeD, Reed, Robinson, Shafroth, Sheppard, Sherman, Shields, Smith (Arizona), Smith (Georgia), Smith (South Carolina), Stone, gwanson, Taggart, Tillman, Townsend, Walsh, Warren-Some day the power of public opinion will compel the Congress of the United States to accept and put into force the policy that the people's armed forces shall be used only for national defense and never in behalf of private interests...
...But I say now that either at this time or in the near future this government will be called upon to declare a policy against using the State Department and military arm of the government to collect private claims for gentlemen seeking large profits in foreign countries...
...Military Tax Burden Unnecessary THE PREPAREDNESS expenditures forced through Congress are not for the purpose of defending our nation against any of the powers of Europe...
...They are exhausting themselves in men, in military strength...
...The interests of this country are confronted with the alternative of loaning their surplus wealth to the farmer, to the merchant, to the small enterprise, at a constantly lowering interest rate, or of withdrawing the surplus capital from this country, keeping interest rates high here and going down into the weak governments of Mexico, Central and South America, which are rich in natural resources, minerals, oiL timber, coaL and iron, surpassing all imagination, we are told, and acquiring control there...
...This roll call will be of interest to them: The Senators who voted for this amendment are: Chamberlain, Gronna, Kenyon, La Follette, Lane, Martine (New Jersey), Norris, Vardaman...
...The great influence in this country which has sought for four years to bring on war between this country and Mexico has been the financial interests in the United States which have made investments in Mexico...
...I BELIEVE EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES INTO A FOREIGN COUNTRY AND EVERY MAN WHO GOES INTO A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITH HIS MONEY LOOKING FOR PROFITS SHOULD1 ACCEPT THE LAWS OF THE COUNTRY AS THE ARBITER TO WHICH HE WILL, APPEAL FOR JUSTICE IF HE FEELS AT ANY TIME THAT HE IS REQUIRED TO PROTECT HIS RIGHTS IN THAT COUNTRY...
...It was for the purpose of writing on the records of Congress that the battleships for which appropriations were being made, taxing the American people, should not be used for financial adventurers who go into the weaker countries of this hemisphere to exploit them...
...To make an end of the use of our Navy to enforce the claims of these interests, I offered the following amendment: "PROVIDED, that no battleship, cruiser, scout cruiser, torpedo-boat destroyer, or submarine herein appropriated for shall be employed in any manner to coerce or compel the collection of any pecuniary claim of any kind, class, or nature, or to enforce any claim or right to any grant or concession for or on behalf of any private citizen, co-partnership, or corporation of the United States against the government of Mexico or of any Central or South American government...
...The facts and logic are all against it...
...Believing in democracy, in the right of self-government—ready to defend the precious heritage of our own sovereignty—let us resolve and declare that we will never permit the armed forces of the United States to be used to despoil our sister republics of their property, interfere with their right to govern themselves according to their own standards, or violate their sovereignty— as sacred to them as American sovereignty is to us...
...When the people once understand its significance, they will thunder at the doors of the Capitol of this country to reverse the policy of Congress upon that subject...
...The present policy is an everlasting wrong...
...That is the fact about it They want war with Mexico for financial reasons—for profit—and the amendment which I submitted to the Senate aimed to put a stop to that thing...
...All of the nagging on the floors of Congress, all of the nagging of the Administration in the press of the country, all of the derision and ridicule of a "sickly, attenuated, anemic Mexican policy" has been instigated by the interests that have their investments in Mexico but who live in this country...
...My proposal was rejected by the Senate...
...The belligerents are weakening themselves financially...
...I concede the right of the owner to invest his capital where he pleases...
...Just in proportion as they destroy the soldiery of Europe, just in proportion as they feed the men between eighteen and forty-five years of age to the cannon, wiping out ten to twelve millions of the virile manhood of the world, just by so much THE REASONS DIMINISH why we should ever have begun such a EXTRAVAGANT, EXTORTIONATE PROGRAM OF TAXATION upon the people of this country for what we call "preparedness...
...But I venture to assert that the American PEOPLE are not in favor of having their Navy, supported by enormous tax burdens, used at any time as a "bill collector" for the big speculative interests...
Vol. 8 • August 1916 • No. 8
