The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-12-14

full price for peace, ant pay it I'M
grudgingly. We know whst that price
will be. It will be full Impartial JUS
tice-justice done at every point and
to every nation that the Enal settle
ment must affect, our enemf - as well
as our friends.
Final and Convincing Lesson.
"You catch with me, the voices of
humanity that are in the air. They
grow daily more audible, more articu-
late, more persuasive and they come
from the hearts of men everywhere.
They insist that the war shall not end
in vindictive action of any kind; that
no nation or people shall be robbed or
punished because the irresponsible
rulers of single country have them
selves done deep and damnable wrong.
1t is this thought that has been ex-
pressed In the formula No annexa-
lions, no contributions, no punitive in
IDENTITIES Just because this crude
formula expresses the instructive judg
ment as to right Of plain men every
where, 1t has been made diligent use
of by the masters of German intrigue
to lead the people Of Russia astray--
and the people of every country their
agents could reach, in order that
premature peace might be brought
about before autocracy has been taught
its final and convincing lesson, and
the people of the world put in control
of their own destinies."
Right as the Arbiter.
"But the fact that a wrong use has
been made of just idea is no reason
why a right use should not be made of
it. 1t ought to be brought under the
patronage of its real friends. Let it be
| said again that autocracy must first be
shown the utter futility of its claims to
power or leadership in the modern
world. 1t is impossible to apply any
standard of justice so long as such
forces are unchecked and indicated
as the present masters of Germany
command. Not until this has been
done can Right be set up as arbiter
and peacemaker among the nations.
But when that has been done-as God
willing, it assuredly will be-we shall
at last be free to do an unprecedented
thing, and this the time to avow our
purpose to do it. We shall be free to
base peace on generosity and justice,
to the exclusion of all selfish claims to
advantage even on the part of the vic
tors.
To Win War Our Present Task.
LET there be no misunderstanding
Our present and immediate task is to
win the war, and nothing shall turn us
aside from it until it is accomplished
Every power and resource we possess
whether of men, of money, or of ma
terials, is being devoted and will con
tinue to be devoted to that purpose
until it is achieved Those who de
sire to bring peace about before tina
purpose is achieved / counsel to carr.
their advice elsewhere. We will no
entertain it. We shall regard the wa
as won only when the German peopl
say to us, through properly aecredtte'
representatives, that they are ready t
, agree to a settlement based upon jus
tice and the reparation of the wrong
their rulers have done. They hav
done a wrong to Belgium which mus
be repaired. They have established
, power over other lands and people thai
their own-over the great empire o
Austria Hungary, other hitherto fire.
Balkan states, over Turkey, and within
, Asia-which must be relinquished.
Must End German Autocracy.
"Germany's success by skill, by in
dustry. by knowledge, by enterprise
we did not grudge or oppose, but ad
mired, rather. She had built up TO
herself a real empire of trade and in
f1uence, secured by the peace of tn
: world. We were content to abide tn
| rivalries of manufacture, science an
: commerce that were involved for us i
her success and stand or fall as w
had or did not have the brains and tn
, initiative to surpass her. But at tn
. moment when she had conspicuous
: won her triumphs of peace she thre'
I them away, to establish in their stea
I what the world will no longer PERM
j to be established, military and politics
T domination by arms, by which to Gus
: where she could not excel the rival
I she most feared and hated. The peac
y we make must remedy that wrong.
! must deliver the once fair lands an
e happy peoples of Belgium and nortl
u ern France from the Prussian conque!
, and the Prussian menace, but it mu'
: also deliver the peoples of Austri
I Hungary, the peoples of the Balkan
and the peoples of Turkey, alike
Europe and in Asia, from the impudel
n and alien dominion of the Prussia
It military and commercial autocracy.
e To Manage Their Own Affairs.
IS ''We owe it, however, to ourselves
l. say that we do not wish in any way
W impair or to re-arrange the Austr
r Hungarian empire. 1t is no affair
" ours what they do with their own lif
st either industrially or politically. v
y do not purpose or desire to dictate
1t them in any way. We only desire
lie see that their affairs are left in the
Ig own hands, in all matters, great
ID small. We shall hope to secure for Il
IS peoples of the Balkan peninsula al
re for the people of the Turkish empi