The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-12-20

They may safely be left to strut their
uneasy hour and be forgotten.
Peace BY Overcoming Evil.
But from another point of view,
believe that it is necessary to say
plainly what we, here at the seat of
what part we mean to play in the set
Element of it's searching issues. We
are spokesman of the American people
and they have right to know wheth-
er their purpose is ours. They desire
peace by the overcoming of evil, by
the defeat once for all of the sinister
forces that interrupt peace and render
it impossible, and they wish to know
how closely our thought runs with
theirs and what action we propose.
They are impatient with those who
desire peace by any sort of comprom-
ise-deeply and Indignantly impatient
but they will be equally impatient
with us if we do not make it plain to
them what our detectives are and
what we are planning for in seeking
to make conquest of peace by arms.
Must Crush Master.
| believe that speak for them when
say two things: First, that this in
tolerable thing Of which the masters
of Germany have shown us the ugly
face, this menace of combined intrigue
and force which we now see so clearly
as the German power, thing without
conscience or honor or capacity for
covenanted peace, must be crushed,
and if it be not utterly brought to an
end, at least shut out from the friend
ly intercourse Of the nations; and,
second, that when this thing and it's
power are indeed defeated and the
time comes that we can discuss peace
when the German people have
spokesman whose word we can believe
and when these spokesman are ready
in the name of their people to accept
the common judgment of the nations
as to what shall henceforth be the
bases of law and of covenant for the
| life of the world-we shall be willing
and glad to pay the full price for
peace and pay it ungrudgingly.
HedrS VOICE OF f1uHldniIys
We know what that price will be.
It will be full, impartial justice, JUS
tice done at every point and to every
nation. The final settlement must
affect our enemies as well as our
friends. You catch, with me, the voic-
es of humanity that are in the air.
They grow daily more audible, more
articulate, more persuasive, and they
come from the hearts of men every
where 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 if
responsible rulers Of a single country
have themselves done deep and abom-
Unable wrong.
Huns Lead S!avs Astray.
1t is this thought that has been ex-
pressed in the formula mo annexa-
tions, no contributions, no punitive ir-
IDENTITIES" Just because this crude
formula expresses the instructive judg-
ment as to right OF. plain men every
where, it has been made diligent use
of by the masters of German intrigue
to lead the people of Russia astray-
and the people of every other 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.
To Base Peace on Justice.
But the fact that a wrong use has
been made of just idea is no reason
why 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 It is impossible to ap-
ply any standard of justice so long as
such forces are unchecked and unde-
feated as the present masters of Ger
many command. Not until that has
been done can Right be set up as ar
bitter and peacemaker among the ma
lions. But when that has been done
as God willingly it assuredly will be-
we shall at last be free to do an I'M
precedented thing and this is the time
to avow our purpose to do it. We shall
be free to base peace on generosity