The Arizona copper camp., 1917-12-08
PRESIDENT, IN MASTERLY MESSAGE,
D|SPOSES OF PEACE TALK AND ASKS
CONGRESS DECLARE WAR ON AUSTRIA

impatient with us if we do not make
it plain to them what our detectives
are and what we are planning for in
seeking to make conquest of peace by
arms.
l believe that l speak for them
when say two things: First, that
this intolerable thing of which the
masters of Germany have shown us
the. ugly face, this menace of COM
bined intrigue and force, which we
now see so clearly as the German
power. thing without conscience or
honor or capacity for covenanted
peace must be crushed, and if it be
not utterly brought to an end, at least
shut out from the friendly intercourse
of the nations; and, secondly, that
when this thing and its power are
indeed defeated and the time comes
that we can discuss peace-when the
German people have spokesmen whose
word we can believe and when those
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-we shall be willing and glad
to pay the full price for peace and
pay it ungrudgingly. We know what
the price will be. 1t will be full, i'm
partial justice-justice done at every
point and to every nation the final
settlement must affect. our enemies
as well as our friends.
The Voices of Humanity.
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 or people shall be
robbed or punished because the ire
sponsible rulers of single country
have themselves done deep and abom-
Unable wrongs. 1t is this thought that
has been expressed in the formula,
mo annexation, no contributions, no
punitive indemnities, Just because
this crude formula expresses the in
stinctive judgment as to right of plain
men everywhere it has been made
diligent use of by the masters of
German intrigue to lead the people
of Russia astray-and the people of
every other country their agents could
reach, in order that premature peace
might be brought before autocracy has
been taught its final and convincing
lesson and the people of the world
put in control of their own destinies.
But the fact that wrong use has
been made of a 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 or leadership in the
modern world. 1t is impossible to
apply any standard of justice so long
as such forces are unchecked and un-
defeated as the present masters of
Germany command. Not until that
has been done can right be set up as
arbiter and peacemaker among the
nations 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 it. We shall be free to base peace
on generosity and justice, to the ex-
clusion of all selfish claims to advan-
tage even on the part of the victors
No Premature Peace.
Let there be no understanding. Our
present and immediate task is to win
the war and nothing shall turn us
aside from it until it is accomplished.
Every power and resource we possess,
whether of men, of money or of mate
rails, is being devoted and will con-
tinue to be devoted to that purpose
until it is achieved. Those who de-
sire to bring about peace before that
purpose is achieved, counsel to carry
their advice elsewhere. We will not
entertain it. We shall regard the war
as won only when the German people |
say to us, through properly accredited
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 wrong to Belgium which
must be repaired. They have estab-
lished power over other lands and
peoples than their own-over the |
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