The Washington herald., 1917-09-27
TAFT DEGREES
Peace EFFORTS
Former President Scores
Persons Demanding Set
Element of War at
Present.

Montreal. Canada. Sept. S-That
people who seek a present peace on
the basis of mo annexation or i'm
IDENTITIES are either blind to their
country's best interests or are Hun
sympathizers, Is the statement OF
former President William Howard
Taft. addressing the general confer.
ence Of Unitarian and other Chris.
tan churches here tonight. Mr.. Taft
speaking as. the president of the
League to Enforce Peace. said thai
peace at this time would mean the
waste of millions Of human lives, az
well as the mortgaging of the future
of the next generation, even though
it was proposed by the pontiff of the
greatest Christian church.
Extracts for his address are as fol
lows:
The allies have made a stupendous
effort and have strained their utmost
capacity. Unready for the war, they
have concentrated their energy II
preparation. In a three-years' styug
gle they have stopped the German
advance. In this important respec
they have defeated the plan OF Ger
many lin shining armor'' to crust
her enemies In their unreadiness. Blu
the war has not been won. German!
| is in possession of Belgium and par
| of northern France. She holds Serbi'
| and Rumania, Poland, and the Bal
! tic provinces of Russia.
Object of War.
peace now, even though it b
made on the basis of the restora
ton of the status quo. 'withuot IN
IDENTITIES and without annexation
would be a failure to achieve Tn
great purpose for which the alIie
have made heart-rending sacrincs
Armaments would continue Tor Tn
next war, and this war would nav
been fought in vain.
This is not a war in which TN
stake is territory or the sphere Q
influence of one nation over an
other. The allies can not conced
peace until they conquer 1t. VINE
they do so. it will be permanen
otherwise they fail. There ar
wars like that between Japan an
Russia, in which President Roose
Welt properly and successfully In
tervened TO bring about a peac
and helped the parties TO settle
ment.
The preparation OF fifty year
the false philosophy OF her destin
and of the exaltation of force ma
given Germany yearning for con
quest, for the expansion or her Tel
ritory, the extending of her innu
ence, and the Denomination OF tn
e-N- Il.
the incalculable destruction OF tn
war. She led on in the armamer
of the world that she might ru
IL. She promoted therefore IN
armament of other nations. He
system was followed. though NJ
as effectively by other countries
pure defense of their peace an
safety. And now. her emperor. hi
Prussian military caste and HI
wonderful, but blinded people, hay
the blood of the millions who hay
suffered in this world catastropf
on their hands.
The Danger Point.
but we are at a danger point. En-
, land and France and Russia since IL
have been fighting the battle of II
world and fighting for us of Americ
, The three years or more of war hay
, drained their vitality, strained the
, credit, exhausted their man powe
subjected many OF their noncomba
; ants to suffering and destruction. al
they have the war WEAKNESS whiC
, dulls the earlier eager enthusiasm Il
the principles at stake. Now specio'
: proposals for peace are likely TO
: most allurinG to the faint hearte
t and most powerful in the hands
traitors. Russia, rid of the Car,
torn with dissensions and the e
) IRENE Socialists and impractical tn
D orists. blind TO the ultimate destru
{ ton of their hopes that a loss Of tn
war will entail. are many of the
3 tul ming for a separate peace.
Let us hope and pray that all Z
allies will reject all proposals for sc
Z tlc-nent and compromise and adhe
rigidly and relisiously to the princir
that until 4 victorious result gives 9
curity that the world shall not
again drenched in blood through I
insanely selfish policy of militia
! caste of a nation ruling delud
l people intoxicated with material 81
cess and power, there will be
peace.