The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-18
Editorial Comment
on Current Subjects
WE SHOULD SPEAK AND SPEAK
PLAINLY.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
While It Is clear that the ropes
neace proposal does not commend IT.
self to the judgment Of the official rep
resentatves Of Great Britain ano
France, and while 1t sees probable that
the United States will agree with her
allies In regarding 1t as vitality defec'
five, fits oral importance can scarcel.
be exaggerated. 1t is the most Slgnih'
cant and influential declaration thai
has come from any quarter and It can
not safely be ignored or answered with
vague generalities. The only great neu,
tral left in the world has come forward
as peacemaker, and has come with a
program that includes definite PROPOSE
tiors. His position as head OF tne
largest Christian body in the WorId
makes him an authority with millions
of ueople in this country, in France
Italy, Germany, Austria and Great
Britain. The source of the proposal
will insure it at least careful, If not Ia
vorable, attention by all who are con
nected with the Church Of Rome, and
that fact, as well as the neutrality OF
the peaCemaker, differentiates 1t wide
" from all preceding suggestions. II
has from these circumstances o pecu'
liar standing and claim Of its own to
dispassonate consideration in the
popular as we'll as the diplomatic
forum.
Another and very strong reason why
It cannot be dismissed lightly Is that
it presents a view which undoubtedly
has many supporters in all the Allied
countries, who argue precisely as the
Pope argues. The main thing in their
opinion Is to bring the war to an END
without baggling over minor points: 1t
is impossible, they believe, to establish
the question of relative responsibility
for its initiation, to decide which is
the really guilty nation. They like
the Pope, can see only one thing dis
tinctly in all the smoke Of controversy
recrimination, charges and counter
charges, and that is that civilization Is
bleeding to death, and they think the
only way to save it is on basis OF
general surrender.
That the Pope has overlooked what
appear to us fundamental essentials IN
his study Of the subject does not weak
en- the strength Of his appeal. Wheth'
er intentionally, or unintenttonaIIy, he
has, in effect, presented the peace
terms Of the Central Powers which
they have hitherto refused to state d.
rectly for themselves, and he has there
by created an issue which cannot be
evaded and which must be met WIN
absolute explicitness. The Pope has
forced the Allies hand. and they must
follow his lead and follow 1t with a
trump card. They can no longer take
refuge In phrases that mean anything
or nothing. He has thrown a dlsor'
ganizing peace bombshell OF the larg.
est dimensions into our camp and II
we reject his plan, as it seems to US
IA inevitable, we must make our posi-
ton 90 unmistakable that our lHenas
and our enemies will be under no mis-
apprehension as 10 what we uemanu
ond what we purpose to do.
In word, we can no longer SATISFY
ourselves with fine and heroic 0ut IN
definite rhetoric, such as the destruc.
ton Of militarism," or a victory OF
democracy over aggression" with
which Lloyd George described the Al
lied war aims in London on Wednes'
day. Neither will peace without VIC
tory" carry US anywhere, nor does
making the world safe for democracy"
meet the situation. 1t is not necessary
to restate why we are at war inc
man who doesn't know that must De
either an irreclaimable imbeclle or
must have been asleep for the last three
years. But it is necessary now to
state specifically how we intend to Sc
cure a victory OF democracy over az
gression," Just how we intend to make
the world safe for democracy" exact
ly the process by which we will elimi'
nate the menace Of PrussiaD militar-
ism. To sum it all up in q sentence
we must make a plain answer 70 Ger
many through the Pope by filing our
bill Of particulars, and there is no rea'
son why we should wait for Germany
and Auitris o create sentiment tor the