Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-12-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

President Wilson's recent message
to Congress has been generally COM
mended by the newspapers of Eng
land, France and Italy, and also by
the press of South America and Can
ada. 1t has been referred to by many
as the greatest address that has been
delivered by any statesman since the
commencement of the war. The mes
sage rises to the clear heights of JUS
tice and mercy for all humanity,
friend and foe alike
The following summary from the
New York World outlines the general
trend of the message:
President Wilson's address to Con-
gress sounds clear, ringing note
of leadership to all the nations that
are battling against Prussian autoc-
racy.
1t is both a great war message and
a great peace message-a great war
message in it's uncrompromising de-
termination that the war must be
won, and great peace message in
Its enlightened statement of the prin-
ciples upon which the security of civ
iliZation must rest.
The Presidents address of yester-
day is in the spirit of his war ad-
dress of April and of his reply to
the Vatican. Although he sums up
the case in somewhat different terms,
1t is the same case with the same con-
clusion.
There can be peace when the Ger
man people have spokesman whose
word we can believe and when those
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. There can be peace when
the German people say to us, through
properly accredited representatives
that they are ready to agree to
settlement based upon justice and
the reparation of the wrongs their
rulers have DONE" Nor does the
President hesitate to be specific in de-
filming some of the conditions of that
settlement, and it is sufficiently COM
prehensive to include peace of
Justice and generosity" for the Ger
man people themselves when they
have given the guarantees that are re-
Quired.
For weeks the Bolsheviki who seiz-
ed the government at Petrograd have
been demanding through their Len.
ines and Trotzkys a restatement Of
the aims and objects of the Allies
Last week the Marquis of Lansdowne
Joined in his demand. So far as the
United States is concerned the Pres
tdent has answered, and answered
frankly. We may take it for granted
that this answer will receive the
same measure of approval in Grea
Britain and France that was accorded
to his reply to the Vatican's peace
proposals.
The matter stands now where i
stood then. There has been n,
change. We are dealing with thu
same German government, dominated
by the same men and actuated by tn
same motives. eve are seeking per
manent, not temporary, foundations 70
the peace of the world" and such bein,
the case we must push the war to it
righteous conclusion.
Delivered to Congress and to tn
American people, the Presidents ad
dress is intended for a far wider audi
ence It is spoken directly to the peo
pie of Great Britain, France, Belgium
and Italy. It is spoken emphaticalll
to the Russians, for. whom he has {
special message. 1t is spoken as wei
to the Germans, with whom we are
at war, to all the allies of Germany
and to all the peoples whose future
depends upon the outcome of this con-
fict. At all times it is a message OF
democracy, of justice and Of law, which