T'he Days of a Man 1:1917 



debt would bring great inflation, and this in turn 

 involve drastic taxation, the only escape from which 

 lay in the exemption of Liberty Bonds — "the 

 softest thing ever handed out to Wall Street," stated 

 one of the men, referring to a purchase of three 

 millions he had made that very day! 

 The ^ During my stay I was invited to attend a meeting 



Council of a small group called to organize the "People's 

 Council for Democracy and Peace." Only a dozen 

 or so, mostly acquaintances of mine, were present, 

 Magnes acting as chairman and Lochner as secretary. 

 The original platform (to which I assented) read as 

 follows : 



Object 



To defend and promote democratic liberties In war time and to 

 work for an early and enduring peace. 



Program 



1. To maintain our constitutional rights of assemblage and 



free speech. 



2. To safeguard the right of the people to discuss the alms, 



scope, and method of our participation In the war, and to 

 advocate terms of peace. 



3. To oppose the enactment of measures for compulsory 



service.^ 



4. To urge our government to seize every opportunity for 



bringing about peace negotiations and establishing Inter- 

 national organization. 



My own connection with this body was slight, 

 though subjecting me to unforeseen and annoying 

 misrepresentation, the account of which may be 

 briefly rehearsed.- 



1 Congress having declared for conscription, this article was at once 

 abandoned. 



2 Some critic has lately asserted that "the autobiography of any man, be he 

 a shelved prime minister or a retired pugilist, is but a carefully conceived and 

 artfully executed series of alibis." 



c 738 n 



