The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-12-25

The Imperial German government,
foiled and defeated in its plan to Grip
pie the great self-governing nations
OF the world, first France, next Eng
land, last the United States, is seeking
to achieve through its proposals for
peace what it has been unable to OBJ
tain by arms.
The Imperial German government
seeks a compromise in the irrepres-
sible conflict between autocracy and
democracy before it shall be too late
All who are willing to compromise
on this issue are willing to aid des-
potism, as all who urged compromise
on Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War
aided slavery. The American people
today are fighting for their own lib
erty as well as for the freedom of the
world. The world cannot be safe for
democracy so long as an organized au-
tocracy-its people still believing it
victorious-is intrenched in the cen
ter of Europe, leading 100000 arm
ed men and possessing the resources
of 170,000,000 people in the worlds
central position for all seas and all
continents.
President Wilson was the true
spokesman of the American people
when he said in his message to Con-
gress on December 4:
"The American people are impatient
with those who desire peace by any
sort of compromise deeply and in
dignantly impatient.
ut will be full impartial Justice
justice done at every point and to
carry every nation that the final set
Element must affect our enemies as
well as our friends"
No compromise is conceivable if
the German government is mot utter
~ brought to an end" by military de-
feat or political revolution from with
in. For, as our president continues:
1T might be impossible in such un-
toward circumstances, to admit Ger
many to the free economic intercourse
which must inevitably spring out of
the other partnerships of a real peace.
But there would be no aggression in
that; and such situation, inevitable
because of distrust, would in the very
nature of things sooner or later cure
itself by processes which would as
suredly set in"
Nor would this be our only recourse
against the rulers of German: ut
might be impossible to admit them to
the partnership of nations which must
henceforth guarantee the worlds
peace" our national leader further
points out
The fragrant violation by the Imper-
ial government of the principles and
practice of accepted international law
was the occasion of our declaration of
war, but not its underlying cause.
The cause of our entertaining the
present war, as of every other coun-
try at war with the Imperial German
government is that this autocracy
endangers our safety and challenges
our freedom. From the day when it
attacked our possessions of Samoa
by the insidiOus plot which cost the
lives of our sailors in 1889, to the
present period when it has filled our
land with spies, has slain our citizens
on land and sea, and set them at
variance by fOmenting racial strife,
the government of Germany has been
our enemy in peace as it is now our
foe in war. It's fleet threatened the
fleet of Admiral Dewey in Manila har-
Dor; it sought to set the Monroe Doc
trine at naught; it proposed interven-
ton by Europe when we freed Cuba
it laid plans to control Santo Domin-
go and Venezuela; and it has attempt
ed this very year to array Mexico and
Japan against us while we were still
at peace. The visit of Prince Henry
began the campaign to divide our
loyal citizens of German birth and
descent so as to render this nation i'm
potent in the defense of its own Sc
curity and that of the democracies of
the world. Germany even sought by
the Delbrueck law to establish a con-
tinuing German citizenship in German
immigrants who had become citizens
of the United States by naturaliza-
ton. This in effect attempted to
cause them to violate the oath which
made them citizens of the United
States, and to accept a divided alleg-
lance.
Our war aims cannot be compro-
missed Which of President Wilson's
demands on our behalf can we sur
render? Can we abandon our de-
mand for liberty and self govern
ment" MAY 26) for ourselves and
others? Shall we give up our demand
for "the freedom of the nations"
(ADril p? AS the president has said,
eve can afford to be generous, but
we cannot afford to be weak or omit
any single guarantee of justice or Sc
curity" MAY 26).
Since a lasting world peace is our
chief war aim, which of Germany's
crimes can we afford to accept as in
nocent acts and permit to be repeated
and continued? Which oppressed ma
tionality can we safely abandon to her
sovereignty? What slaughter of in
nocents and destruction of their prop
erty shall we leave without such rep
aration as can be afforded by finan-
cial indemnity? In which cases shall
the nations which have made vast
sacrifices in an effort to protect the
victim pay the bulk of the damages?
AS the president had said: 1.-THE sin
lister intrigue of the German ruling
classes to secure peace now with the
immense advantages in their hands"
is their one opportunity to perpet-
uate their military power" (June14)
We are in this war to conquer
MAY 26) the enemys armies, though
not his territory or population. We