The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1917-07-28

N4E very ouN tuAe oulARAtfbH Np5H hh
ia safeguard their interests Wlth cur
own The second consideration which
had been SO often developed tn the
President speeches, Was tho hope
that hy keeping ulOut from The bitter
passions abroad. BY preserving un.
troubled here the holy ideals of civil
lzed intercourse between nations We
might be free at the end Of this war
10 bind up the wounds Of the conflict
70 be the restorers aud rebuildcrs uf
the wrecked structure Of the world
All these motives held us back, but
II was not Ions until sc we're brset by
further complications We soon had
reason 10 bclloee tina, the recent com
pIianep OF the German Government had
not been made ta US ia good faith. and
vas only temporary, and by the end
Of 1916 Il was plain that oar neutral
status bad again been made unsate
through the pyrriucreasjng aggressive.
ness of the German autoeracy There
was general agreement here with the
statement Of our President on October
q. 1915. that this conflict aas the last
great war iuvolyiag the world Ia which
wc could remain ncutral
II was IN this frame OF mind fearing
Wc might BE- drawn into the War II II
did not soon come 20 au end that III"
President began the preparation OF his
note. asking the belllgereut powers 10
define their war aims. iiut before BE-
had completed H. the world was sur
prised by thr peace move OF the Ger
man Government an identical note on
behalf of the German Empire. Austria.
Hungary, Bulgaria aus Turkey, sent
through neutral powers on December
IL, 1910, 20 the governments of the
Allies, proposing negotiations for peace
While expressing the wish to end this
war q catastrophe which thousands
of years al common civilization was
unable 20 prevent and which Injuries
the most prectous achievements Of
humanity the greater portion Of the
note was courhed IN terms that gave
small hope OF lasting peace Boosting
Of Herman c0nqucsfs the glorious
deeds uf oar armies, the note implaut.
I'D ia neutral mind tho belief that II
MS the purpose of the Imperial Ger.
man Government So insist upon eaeh
conditions as would lopfc all Central
| Europe under German dominance and
go build mp m Empire which would
menace the Whole liberal world
Moreover, the German proposal was
accompanied by thiuly yelled threat
TO al neutral nations and from a
thousand sources, official aud unofficial
the word came 10 Washington that
unless the acutrals used their influence
to bring the war 10 an end on terms
dictated from Berlin Germany and her
allies would consider themselves hence
| forth free from any obligations To
respect the rights Of neutfals The
Kaiser ordered the neutrals 10 e1er
pressure on the ERtente 20 bring the
war to an abrupt end, OF 10 beware Of
the consequences Clear warnings were
brought to our Government that II the
German peace move should not be- sue
cessful the submarines would be an.
leashcd for more intense and ruthless
war upon all commerce,
I On the 18th Of December The Presb
dent dispatched his note to all the
helligerent powers. asking them TO dc
ane their war aims There was still
hope Ia our minds that the mntuai
suspicious between the warning powers
might be decreased, and the menace OF
future German aggression and don't
nance bc renewed, by finding a guar
anty of good faith Ia a League Of
| Nations There was q chance that by
the creation OF such a league az part OF
the peace negotiations, the war could
naa be brought 60 an end before our
Nation vas involved. Two statements
Issued to the press By our Secretary Of
state. upon the day the note was dis
patched. threw q clear light on the
aerlousness with which our Govern
ment viewed the crlfis
From this point. events moved rapid
~ The powers of the Entente replied
10 the German peace note Neutral
nations took action on the note Of the
President, and from both beligerpnis
replies to this note were soon 10 our
hands
The German reply VAS evasiye IN
accord with their traditional prefer,
enee for diplomacy behind closed
tleors Refusing IA state 10 the world
their terms, Germany and her allies
merely proposed conference. They