The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-04
PRESIDENTS CALL FOR WAR.
Continued from Page !

impair or to rcarrange the Austria
hungarian empire II is no affair of /
oI5s what they do within their own,
either industrially or politically. We t
do not propose or desire to dictate to |
them in any way. We only desire to /
see that their affairs are left in their |
own hands in all matters great or small.
We shall hope to secure for the people |
Of the Balkan peninsular and for the
people Of the Turkish empire the right
aud opportunity to make their own
lives safe, their own fortunes secure
against oppression or injustice and
from dictation of foreign courts and
PARTIES.
And our attitude and purposes with re
gard to Germany herself are of a like
kind We intend no wrong against the
German empire, no interference with her
internal affairs We should deem either
the one or the other absolutely unjus
titabe absolutely contrary to the prin-
cple we have protested to live by and to
hold most sacred throughout our life a.
a nation
The people OF Germany are being told
by the men whom they now permit TO
deceive them and to act as their masters
that they are fighting for the very life
and existence OF their empire, a war of
desperate self-defense against deliberate
aggression. Nothing could be more gross
~ or wantonly false, and we must seek
hy the utmost openness and candor as
to our real aim TO convince them of its
falsencss We are, in fact, fighting for
their emancipation from fear along with
our own IRON the fear as we'll as from the
TACT of an unjust attack by neighbors or
rivals or schemers after world empire.
No one Is threatening the existence or
the independence Of a peaceful enterprise
OF the German empire. The worst that
can happen TO the detriment OF the Ger
man people is this That ii they should
tll after the war Is over continue to be
Obliged to live under ambitious and in
i trlgulng masters determined to disturb
I the peace of the world men or classes Of
men whom the other people Of the world
could not trust-it might be impossihl
70 admit them to the partnership of ma
tons which must henccforth guarantee
the world peace
That partnership must be a partnership
OF people, not a mere partnership Of gov
ernmentS. 1t might be impossible also IN
slch untoward circumstances to admit
Germany to the Tree economic intercourse
which must Inevitably spring out of the
other partnership OF a real peace But
there would be no aggression In that
md such a sltultion, inevitable because
OF distIust. would in the very nature O.
things sooner or later cure itself by proc
csses which would assuredlv set in
The wrong, the very deep wrong. com
mitted IN this war Will have 10 be right
ed. That, Of course; but that cannot an1
must not be rightcd by the commission
oi similar wrongs against Germany and
her allies. The world will not permit thl
commission OF similar wrongs a. a means
or reparatiou and settlement
Statesmen must by this time have
learned that the opinion Of the world i
everywhere wide awake and fully compre
bends the issues involved No representa-
tive OF any self-eovcrned nation woulC
dare disregard it by attempting any sucl
covenants Of setshness and compromis
as were entered into at the congress O
Vienna. The thought of the plain peo
pie here and everywhere throughout IN,
world. the people who enjoy no privil
eyes and have very simple and un,onhisti
Gated standards OF right and wrong. i
that governments must hencefortl
breathe II they would live II l., tie ful
disclosing light Of that fact that all poll
Cues must be constructed and executed il
tins hour OF the worlds life.
German rulers have been able to upse
the peace of the world only because tn
German people were not suffered unde
their privilege to share the eomladeshi
81 the other peoples oil the world eithe
{ IN part or IN purpose.
, They were allowed to have no opinio,
81 their own which might be set Up a. .
rule OF conduct for those who eNerci4
r authority over them. But the congress
concludes this war will feel the full
strength II the tides that run now in til
hearts ald consciousness of free me,
evcrywhcrc. It's conclusion will run
with those tides
All thee things have been true from