The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-12-14


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than their own-over the great empir,
of Austria-Hungary, over hitherto FREE
Balkan states, over Turkey and within
Asia-which must be relinquished.
Germanys success by skill, by indus
try, by knowledge, by enterprise, we die
not grudge or oppose, but admired rather
She had built up for herself real en-
pre of trade and influence, secured 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 initiative to surpass hers. 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 domina-
| ton 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. 1t must deliver the
once fair lands and happy peoples of
Belgium and northern France from the
Prussian conquest and the Prussian mem
ace, and it must also deliver the peoples
of Austria Hungary, the peoples of the
Balkans and the peoples of Turkey, alike
in Europe and in Asia. from the irnpu-
dent and alien domination of the Prus-
sian military and commercial autocracy.
Intend No Wrong.
We owe it, however, to ourselves to
say that we do not wish in any way to
impair or to rearrange the Austro-H Hun
garian empire. 1t is no affair of ours
what they do with their own life, either
industrially or politically. We do not
purpose to desire to dictate to them in
any way. We only desire to see that
their affairs are left in their own hands,
in all matters, great or small. We shall
hope to secure for the peoples of the
Balkan peninsula ana for the people of
the Turkish empire the right and oppor
tunity to make their own lives safe,
their own fortunes secure against oppres
sion or injustice and from the dictation
of foreign courts or parties. And our at
titude and purpose with regard to Ger
many herself are of a like kind. We in
tend no wrong against the German en-
pire no interference with her internal
affairs. We should deem either the one
or the other absolutely unjustifiable, alb
solutely contrary to the principles we
have professed to live by and hold most
sacred throughout our life as a nation.
Nails Monstrous Lie.
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 fighting for the very life |
and existence of their empire, war of |
desperate self-defense against deliberate
Nothing could be more gross
ly or wantonly false and we must seek
by the utmost openness and candor to
our real aims, to convince them of it's
falseness.
We are. in fact, fighting for their eman-
cipation from fear. along with our own;
from the fear as well as from the fact of
unjust attack by neighbors or rivals or
schemers after world empire. No one
s threatening the existence or the indie
of the German empire.
Might Bar People.
The worst that can happen to the detri-
nent of the German people is this, that if
hey should still. after the war is over.
continue to be obliged to live under am ;
,itious and intriguing masters interested ;
o disrupt the peace of the world, men
IT classes of men whom the other peo-
lies of the W orld could not trust, it might |
'e impossible to admit them to the part ,
lership of nations which must hence
orth guarantee the worlds peace. That /
must be partnership of the i
'eoples. not a mere partnership of gov I
1t might be impossible. also. =
n such untoward circumstances to admit Z
,ermany to the free economic intercourse
rhich must inevitably spring out of the
Their partnerships of real peace. But I
here would be no aggression in that; and j
UGH a situation, inevitable because of {
istrust, would in the very nature of i
Kings sooner or later cure itself by pro- t
esses which will assuredly set in. /
Must Right Wrongs. a
The wrongs the very deep wrongs. c
ommitted in this will have to be
GIFTED That, of course. But this can O
OF and must not be righted by the com C
lission of similar wrongs against Ger y
ANY and her allies. The world will not p
srmit the commission of similar wrongs e
) a means of reparation and settlement. t
nv this time have learned | n
lie opinion of the world is very wide p
wake and fully comprehends the issues t
No representative of any self
)verned nation will dare disregard it by
tempting any such covenants of self 2
hness and promises as were entered into Il
the congress of Vienna. The thought C
roughout the world. the people who en- k
v no privilege and have very simple b
andards of right and wrong, is the air 81
governments must henceforth breathe a
they would live. 1t is disclosing light C,
that thought that all policies must be "
nceived in this midday hour of world S Il
e. German rulers have been able to p
)Set the peace of the world only be- h.
use the German people were not suffer- VI
under their tutelage to comradship of p
her people of the world either in m
ought or in purpose. They were allow te
to have no opinion of their own which OF
light be set up as a rule of conduct for al
ose who exercised authority over them. b
1t the congress that concludes this war ii
III lttl Lie lull icbSlii VI thc ciNNS W
at run now in the hearts and consciences
free men everywhere. Its conclusions
ii run with those tides. di
Russians Poisoned. fir
All these things have been true from 81
e very beginning of this stupendous 70
ar and I cannot help thinking that if al
ey had been made plain at the very OF
tset the sympathy and enthusiasm of &C
e Russian people might have been once or
r all enlisted on the side of the allies re
spicion and distrust swept away and a w
sting union of purpose effected. Had ju
ey believed these things at the very lii
oment of their revolution and had those ca
en- confirmed in that belief since, the w,
d reverses which have recently marked W,
e progress of their affairs towards an wi
dered and stable government Of free
en- might have been avoided. The Rus
In people have been poisoned by the Sc
ry same falsehoods- that have kept the ne
,rman people in the dark, and the poi all
n has been administered by the very he
me hands. The only possible antidote GU
the truth. 1t cannot be uttered too tn
ainly or too often. an
Allies UnaItered. of
From every point of view, therefore, it tn
s seemed to be my duty to speak these gil
clarations of purpose, to add the spe tn
lie interpretations to what l took the M
erty of saying to the senate in Janu tn
w. Our entrance into the war has not Sc
cred our attitude towards the settle ma
mt that must come when 1t II over. de
hen said in January that the nations Gle
the world were entitled to free path nj