Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-06-12


and the selfish advantages which
they have wrongly gained for
themselves and their private
projects Of power all the way from
Berlin to- 6audad and beyond.
Government after government has
by their Influence, without open
conquest Of its territory, been
linked together In net Of In
trieue directed against nothing
less than the peace and liberty Of
the world. The meshes Of that In
trigue must be broken, but cannot
be broken unless wrongs already
J done are undone; and adequate
measures must be taken to pre-
vent It from ever again being re-
woven or repaired.
"Of course, the imperial government
and those whom 1t Is using for their
own undoing are seeking to obtain
pledges that the war will end in the
restoration Of the status quo ante. 1t
was the status quo ante out of which
this iniduitous war issued forth. the
power Of the imperial German govern
ment within the empire and It's wide.
spread domination and influence out.
side Of that empire That status must
be altered In such fashion as to pre-.
vent any such hideous thing from ever
happening again. q
WAR FOR LIBERTY.
1--WE are fighting for the liberty. the
self government and the indicated de-
velopment of all peoples, and every
feature Of the settlement that con.
cludes this war must be conceived and
hot
Wrongs must first be rI9hted
and then adequate safeguards
must be created to prevent their
being committed again. Remedies
Z must be found as we'll az state.
n,ents Of principle that will have
pleasing and sonorous sound.
Practical questions can be settled
only by practical means. Phrases
will not achieve The result. Effec-
tive adjustments will; and what.
ever read lustments are necessary
must be made.
But they must follow principle
and that principle is plain. No people
must be forced under sovereignty un-
der which 1t does not wish to live. No
territory must change hands except
for the purpose Of securing those who
inhabit 1t fair chance Of life and lib.
erty. No indemnities must be insisted
on except those that constitute pay
ment for manifest wrongs done No
readiustments Of power must be made
except such as will tend to secure the
future peace Of the world and the f,l-
ture welfare and happiness Of It's peo-
pies
And then the free peoples Of the
world must draw together in some
common covenant, some genuine and
practical cooperation that will in effect
and Justice in the dealings Of nations
with one another.
PARTNERSHIP OF NATIONS.
"The brotherhood Of mankind must
no longer be fair but empty phrase:
1t must be given structure Of force
and reality. The nations must realize
their commoni life and effect a work
able partnership to secure that life
AGAINST the aggressions Of autocratic
and self pleasing power.
For these thin gs we can afford to
pour out blood and treasure For these
are the things we have always profess
sed to desire. and unless we pour out
blood and treasure now and succeed.
we may never be able to unite or show
conduering force again in the great
cause Of human liberty The day has
come to conquer or submit
eff the forces OF autocracy can
divide us. they will overcome us: II
we stand together. victory is certain
and the liberty which victory will Sc
cure We can a ford then "a he gen.
erous. but we cannot afford then or
now to he weak or omit any single
guarantee of Justice and security"