The Robesonian., 1917-12-06


must. henceworth ezzguarantee the
worlds peace That partnership must
be partnership of peoples mot mere
partnership Of governments. 1t night
/ be impossible also, in such untoward
circumstances, to admit Germany TO
the free economic intercourse Of the
other partnerships of a real peace.
But there would be no aggression IN
that; and such a situation, inevitable
because of distrust, would in the very
nature of things sooner oc later cure
itself, by processes which would as
suredly set in.
The wrongs, the very deep wrongs,
committed in this war, will have to
cannot and must not be righted by
the commission of similar wrongs
against Germany and her allies. The
world will not permit the commission
of similar wrongs as a means Of rep
aration and settlement. Statesmen
must by this time have learned that
: the opinion of the world is everywhere
wide awake and fully comprehends
the issues involved. No representative
of any self-governing nation will dare
disregard it by attempting any such
; covenants of selfishness and compro-
mise as were entered into at the con-
gress of Vienna.
The thought of the plain people
here and everywhere throughout the
world, the people who enjoy no priv
ileges and have very simple and un-
sophisticated standards Of right and
wrong, is the air all governments must
henceforth breathe if they would live.
It is in the full disclosing light of
that thought that all policies must be
conceived and executed in this midday
hour of the worlds life. German rul-
ers have been able to upset the peace
Of the world only because the German
people were not suffered under their
tutelage to share the comradeship Of
the other peoples of the world either
IN thought or in purpose. They were
allowed to have no opinion of their
own which might be set up as a rule
of conduct for those who exercised
authority over them. But the con-
gress that concludes this war will feel
the full strength of the tides that run
now in the hearts and consciences Of
free men everywhere. It's conclusions
will run with those tides. All these
things have been true from the very
beginning Of this stupendous war; ard
cannot help thinking that if they had
neen made plain at the very outset,
the sympathy and enthusiasm of the
Russian people might have been once
for all enlisted on the side Of the al
lies, suspicion and distrust swept
away, and real and lasting union Of
purpose affected. Had they believed
these things at the very moment cf
their revolution and had they been
confirmed in that belief since. the
sad reverses which have recently
marked the progress of their affairs
towards an ordered and stable gov
ernment of free men might have been
avoided. The Russian people have
been poisoned by the very same false
hoods that have kept the German peo-
pie IN the dark, and the poison has
Deeh administered by the very same
hands.
The only possible antido:e is The
truth. 1t cannot be uttC red too uJain-
lv OF too often.
!, From, every point Of view, therefore,,
these declarations of purpose, to adi
it has seemed to be my duty to sneak
these specific interpretations to what
l took the liberty Of saying to the
Senate IN January. Our entrance in
to the war has not altered our atti
tude towards the settlement that must
come when it is over. When I said
IN January that the nations of the
world were entitled not only to free
pathways upon the sea but also to
assured and unmolested access to |
those pathways, l was thinking, and
am thinking now, not of the small
er and weaker nations alone, which
need our countenance and support,
Dut also OF the great and powerful
nations, and of our present enemies
as we'll as our present associates in
the war. l was thinking, and am
thinking now, of Austria, herself.
among the rest, as we'll as of Serbia
and OF Poland. Justice and equality
OF rights: can be had only at a great
price. We are seeking permanent. |
not temporary, foundations for the
peace OF the world and must seek
them fearlessly. AS always, the right
will prove to be the expedient.
-, what shall we do, then, to push
TINS great war of freedom and Justice
TO It's righteous conclusion? We must
Clear away with thorough hand all
lmped1ments to success and we must
make every adjustment of law that
will facilitate the full and free use of
our whole capacity and force as a
righting unit.
One very embarrassing obstacle
mat stands in our way is that we are
at war with Germany but not with her
allles. l therefore very earnestly rec
ommend that the congress immediate
ly declare the United States in a state
OF war with Austria Hungary. Does
1t seem strange to you that this
should be the conclusion of the argu-
ment l have just addressed to YOU?
II IS not. 1t is, in fact, the inevitable
Hungary is for the time being not 10
her own mistress but simply the vas
sal OF the German government. We
must face the facts as they are and
act upon them without sentiment in
this stern business. The government
OF Aa.ustrla-Hungary y. is not acting up-
ta tn us Us own initiative or in response
TO the wishes and foo1;ro.