The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-04

ed representatives that they are
ready to agree to a settlement based
upon justice and the reparation OF
| the wrongs their rulers have done.
| They have done a wrong TO Belgium
which must be repaired. They have
established a power over other lands
and peoples than their own-over
the great empire Of Austria Hun
gary, over hitherto free Balkan
states, over Turkey and within Asia
which must be relinquished.
Threw Away Peace TriumPhs.
''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, assured 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 success 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
domination by arms, by which to
oust where she could not excel the
rivals she most feared and hated.
The peace we make must remedy
that wrong. II must deliver the once
fair lands and happy peoples of Bel
gium and northern France from the
Prussian conquest and the P-ussian
menace but IL must also deliver the
peoples nf Aus4F4Msm ,ss3laar s1eu-
pies OF the Balkans and the peoples
OF Turkey. alike in Europe and in
Asia, from the impudent and alien
domination OF the Prussian military
and commercial autocracy.
I'VE owe II, however, to ourselves
to say that We do not wish in any
way to impair or to rearrange the
Austro- Hungarian empire. It Is no
affair Of ours what they do with
their own life, either industrially or
politically. We do not purpose or
desire to dictate to them in any way.
We only desire to see that their af-
fairs are left in their own hands, in
all matters. great or small. We shall
hope to secure for the peoples OF
the Balkan peninsula and for the
people OF the Turkish empire the
right and opportunity 10 make their
own lives safe, their own fortunes
secure against oppression or injus-
tice and from the dictation Of for
eign courts or parties.
'And our attitude and purpose with
regard to Germany herself are Of a
like kind. We intend no wrong
against the German empire, no inter-
ference with her internal affairs. We
should deem either the one or the
other absolutely unjustifiable, absO-
lutely contrary to the principles we
have professed to live by and TO hold
most sacred throughout our life as
a nation.
THE people of Germany are being
told by the men whom they now
permit to deceive them and to act as
their masters that they are lighting
for the very life and existence or
their empire, a war OF desperate
self-defense against deliberate ag-
gression. Nothing could be more
GROSSLY or wantoniy false, and we
must seek by the utmost openness
and candor as to our real aims 70
convince them OF its falseness. We
are in fact fighting for their emanci-
patton from fear, along with our
own. from the fear as well as from
the fact of unjust attack by neigh
bors or rivals or schemers after
world empire. No one is threatening
the existence or the independence or
the peaceful enterprise OF the Ger
man empire. Go
HThe worst that can happen to
the dekriment Of the German
nacpIe n this, that if they should
sill. after the war ID over, con-
tinue 10 be obliged 20 live under
ambitious and intriguing masters
interested 20 disturb the peace OF
tha world, men or classes OF men
,sgIova other psopiea Of the WoFtu
rauld net trust, IL might be inn
nosaihls 70 admit them 20 the
nartnership Of nations when
must henesfoFth guarantee tne
worlds peace"
sSTbaf parfnership must be a part
uership Of peoples, not mere paLs-
nership Of governments. IL might - a
impossible. also. in such untoNsat1 -
circumstances, 70 ADMIT germany Germany -, -
the free economic intercouLse -.
nnaf inevitably spring out or the
ofher partnerships OF a real peace
ant there would be no aggression In
tlrat. and such a situation, tnevlta2le
hacause of distrust, would IN the
very nature Of things sooner or le.eSs ea.s5
cure itself. by processes which Wonia
S'u MuSt Right Wrongs.
ssrrba wrongs. the very deep
,.,-o1ga Committed in this war VIII
bsve "a Be righted. That, OF course
T31,t fhev cannot and must not pc
Tented by the commission Of sim
lar wrongs against Germany ana
her allies.
afThe world will net permit the
commission Of similar wrongs aa
4 means Of reparakion and settle
ngeuR. Statesmen must ~ this
time have learned that the