Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1917-12-20


land, second, that when this thing and
its powers are indeed defeated and the
time comes that we can discuss peace
when the German people have
spokesman whose woru we can believe
and when those spokesman are ready
in the name Of tehir people to accept
the common judgment of the nations
as to what shall henceforth be the
basis 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. We
know what that price will be. 1t will
be full, impartial justice justice done
at every point and to every nation
that the final settlement must affect,
our enemies as well as our friends.
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 Of people shall be robbed or
punished because the irresponsible
rulers Of single country have them
selves done deep and. abominable
wrong. It Is this thought that has been
expressed in the formula, mo annexa-
tions. no contributions, no punitive in
IDENTITIES" Just because this crude
| formula expresses the instructive judg
Tment as to right of plain men every
where, it has been made diligent use
Of by the masters oS German intrigue
to lead the people of Russis astray-
and the people of every other country
their agents could reach, in order that
a 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.
But che 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 of 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 demand. Not until that has been
done can right be set up as arbiter
and peacemaker among the nation.
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 Is the time to avow
our purpose to do 1t. We shall be free
to base peace on generosity and JUS
tice, to the exclusion of all selfish
claims to advantage even on the part
Of the victors. ..
Let there be no Misunderstanding
Our present and immediate task is to
win the war, and nothing shall trurn
us aside from it until it is accomplish
ed. Every power and resource we pos
sess, whether of men, of money, or Of
materials, Is being developed and will
continue to be devoted to that pur.
pose until it is achieved. Those who
desire to bring peace about before
that purpose is achieved, l counsel to
carry their advice elsewhere. We will
not entertain 1t. We shall regard the
war as won only when the German
people say to us, through properly &C.
credited representatives, that they are
ready to agree to q settlement based
upon justice and the PREPARATION Of
the wrongs their rulers have done.
They have done wrong to Belgium
which must be repaired. They have es-
tablished a power over other lands and
peoples than their own-over the great
empire of Austria Hungary, over hith-
erto free Balkan states, over Turkey,
and within Asia-which must be re-
linquished.
Germany's success by skill, by in
dustry, by knowledge, by enterprise we
did not grudge or oppose, but admired,
rather. She had built up for herself a
real empire of trade and influence, Sc.
cured by the peace of the world. We
were content to abide the rivalries of
manufacture, science and commerce
that were involved for us in her sue
cess and stand or fall as we had or did
not have the brains and the initiative
to surpass her. But at the moment
when she had conspicuously won her
triumphs of peace, she threw them
away, to establish in their stead what
the world will no longer permit to be
established, military and political DOM
nation by arms, by which to Gust
where she could not excel the rivals
she most feared and hated. The peace
we make must remedy that wrong. It
must deliver the once rair lands and
happy peoples Of Belgium and north
ern France from the Prussian con-
quest and the Prussian menace, but 1t
must also deliver the people OF Aus
tria- Hungary, the peoples Of the Bal
kans, and the peoples of Turkey, alike
in Europe andin Asia, from the impu-
dent and alien domination Of the Prus-
sian military and commercial autoc-