Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-05
No Half Way Victory.

President Wilson in his address to
congress yesterday, after asking a
declaration OF war against Austria
Hungary, spoke the sentiment Of the
nation when he said that our present
and immediate task Is TO win the war
and that nothing shall turn us aside
from II until It is accomplished. Those
who desire TO bring peace about be-
fore that purpose is achieved are
counseled to carry their advice else
where. The United States will not
entertain it.
There was no passion or bitterness
in the message Of the president He
recited the facts as he has given them
heretofore simply impressing more
deeply the enormity Of the menace
that threatens the whole civilized
world, and citing its desperate fight
10 conquer and to spread its tentacles
as the most vital argument in favor
OF It's suppression at the hands Of
\ those nations whose desire is to live
in peace and in the enjoyment Of their
4 independence Of thought and Of action
and Of governmental iunctioning
German power. consisting Of COM
bined intrigue and force, must be
crushed. and. IL IL be not utterly
brought 10 an end. at least shut out
from the friendly Intercourse Of
nations.
No vindictive action Is contemplated
by the United States. IL will demand
for itself only what it is asking for
other nations wronged by the mailed
fist. The central powers shall not
be robbed or punished because the IT.
responsible rulers Of single coun-
try have themselves done deep and
abominable wrong. Germany, the
president says, must not only render
back Belgium and northern France,
but relinquish power over Austria
Hungary, the Balkan states, Turkey
and Asia Minor
To those who may not yet have
.been able to fathom the war aims
of the United States, or at least have
claimed that they could not, the pres
ident has spoken most enlighteningly,
Also he makes it plain how far the
struggle must proceed before the
United States viii consider that its
purposes are attained: when the pres
ent rulers OF Germany shall have been
supplanted by trustworthy spokesman
of the German people, ready to sub
scribe to provisions to protect the
world from recurrence OF war, We
shall be willing to pay the full price
of peace, that price being justice done
at every point and TO every nation
that the final settlement must affect
our enemies as we'll as our friends
The United States shall regard tht
war as won only when the German
people say to us, through properly
accredited Representatives, that they
are ready to agree on a settlement
based upon justice and the PREPARATION
of the wrongs their rulers have com
mitted.
The message is written in the pres
idents characteristic direct style
There is no play at word painting
It's just an accumulation of facts, on,
driven after the other in a sequence
that opens before the vision of tn
reader with ready comprehensivenes
the entire tragedy through which tn
world Is passing and establishes tn
imperativeness of silencing the han,
that is seeking 10 dominate the uni
verse through sheer brute force bat
tering away the human and tende
teachings of Christianity and brother
hood. His words are addressed to tn
people Of Germany as well as to thos
of the nations that are allied agains
that empire. Pity is that they can
be read by every man and woman i
the fatherland in order that the
might understand the reason for thei
country having so many enemies, an
the last to enter the list Of opponent
being their biggest and best FRIEND
the United States. II you have nc
read the presidents latest messag
you owe 1t to yourself as an Amer
can citizen to Dc so at once. 70
will feel more enthused over. the JUS
tice of the cause in which your cour
try is engaged after having done so.