No War, Says Bryan.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 13, 1913:
Declares There Will Be None While He Is Secretary of State.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, May 12.— Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan made a rather significant speech to-night at the banquet given in honor of the visiting British, Canadian, and Australian delegates of the American conference arranging for the centennial celebration of the Treaty of Ghent.
    He told the diners that there would be no war while he was Secretary of State, and that he would never have accepted the portfolio of the premiership if he had thought for one moment that there would be war during his incumbency of the office.
    The dinner was given at the New Willard by the Carnegie Peace Foundation. Senator Elihu Root of New York presided and made an eloquent speech. Others responding to toasts were Andrew Carnegie, Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, the British Ambassador to the United States, and Lord Weardale.
    But the interest of those present centred upon that portion of Secretary Bryan's speech in which he said:
    "I made up my mind before I accepted the offer of the Secretaryship of State that I would not take the office if I thought there was to be a war during my tenure.
    "When I say this I am confident that I shall have no cause to change my view, for we know no cause to-day that cannot be settled better by reason than by war.
    "I believe there will be no war while I am Secretary of State, and I believe there will be no war so long as I live. I hope we have seen the last great war."