New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-30

acter of the men dominating Germany
and of what ideals and ideas they had
imposed upon the German people.
Mr.. Wilson has done superlatively well
in framing the indictment by Western
civilization of the German government
and German leadership. He has stated
the unmistakable and unchanging fact
that as long as that leadership and those
ideas control in Germany mankind must
answer all German suggestions across
the trench line, and not around the green
table. We shall not 60 back to scraps
of paper" while those who control Ger
many are the men who in August, 1914,
wrote in blood and iron German repudia-
ton of every honorable engagement and
CT all international faith.
We have come to great moment in
world war. We are at last seeing day
light after three years Of utter darkness.
We know now that the German onrush
has been halted. We know now that Ger
man armies will not enter Paris or Lon
don. We know now that German gov
errors and German functionarics will not
in other lands repeat their crimes in Brus-
sells and in Bucharest. The present Ger
man attack has been repulsed. The pres
ent German bid for world power has been
nafhed What remains to be done is
plain. The great duty has been performed
by those who died at the Marine and be-
fore Verdun. That which Is left to US
who have survived is simply to complete
the task and to make certain that there
shall be no repetition Of that tragedy
which has devastated the world and will
leave its marks of sadness and suffering
for century to come.
President Wilson has spoken for all
Western civilization. His voice and his
word insure that there shall be no peace
without victory over the German idea and
over those who, dominating Germany,
have wellnigh destroyed the world. We
shall go forward now to the completion
Of the task. We shall not be turned aside
either by the appeals of those whose SYM
pathies outrun their judgment or by the
covert whispers of those who would save
Germany at the cost of all we love and
honor. There will be no peace now until
Germany, by her own deeds and by her
own actions, demonstrates that she has re-
turned within the law; that she has re-
acknowledged the doctrines of humanity
and justice, which are the constitution of
Justice and must remain so.
Mr.. Wilson has spoken great words on.
one of the most momentous occasions in
human history. He through whose deci-
sion thousands of American soldiers have
already crossed the water to fight on
French battlefelds and thousands more
are to go, speaking for an America now
awake, clear-eyed, determined, has de-
olared that the war shall not end until the
sacrifice, the heroism, the devotion of the
millions who have fought and died have
been rewarded by the restoration of
peace, not for a day or for an hour, not
for a brief period while bafled Ger
many gathers up its strength for a new
attack, but for long years that are to
come, years in which the downfall of the
German idea will be a landmark and an
inspiration.
No part of Mr.. Wilson's communication
is more admirable than that in which he
restates the principles of the United
States in this war. He denounces any
after-war economic alliance against Ger
many and his denunciation destroys
this conception born of the first Paris
Economic Conference. He renounces for
us the doctrine of punitive damages, and
with this declaration there disappears
whatever prospect there was of repe-
tition by the victorious Allies of the policy
adopted by victorious Germany toward
France in 1871. He renounces for US all
sympathy or support for any policy in
volving the dsmemberment of Germany.
Thus he writes his approval Of the spirit
and of all that was sound in the Russian
programme of no annexation and no in
demnity.
He does not deny to France or to Italy
-. La A.