The Washington herald., 1917-12-05

opinion of the world is everywhere wide awake ana
fully coprehends the issues involved No representa-
tive of any selfgoverned nation will dare disregard
it by attempting any such covenants of seshness and
compromise as were entered into at the Congress of
Vienna. The thought of the plain people here and
everywhere throughout the world, the people who en-
Joy no privilege and have very simple and unsophisti
Gated standards of right and wrong is the air all
governments must henceforth breathe if they would
live 1t is in the full disclosing light of that thought
that all policies must be conceived and executed in
this midday hour of the worlds life German rulers
have been able to upset the peace of the world only
because the German people not suffered under
their tuteage to share the comradeshp of the other
pies OF the world either in thought or in purpose They
were allowed to have opinion of their own which
might be set up rule of conduct for those who
exercised authority them But the congress that
concludes this war will feel the full strength of the
tides that in the hearts and cousciences of
free men everywhere. Its conclusions will run with
those tides.
All these things have been true from the very be-
ginning of this stupendous war; and can not help
thinking that If they had been made plain at the very
outset the sympathy and enthusiasm of the Russian
people might have been for all enlisted on the
side of the Allies, suspicion and distrust swept away
and real and lasting union of purpose effected Had
they believed these things the very moment of their
revolution and had they been confirmed in that belief
since, the sad reverses which have recenty marked
the progress of their affairs towards an ordered and
stable government of free men might have been
avoided. The Russian people have been poisoned by
the very same falsehoods that have kept the German
people in the dark, and the poison has been admins
tered by the very hands The only possible anti
dote IS the truth. not be uttered too plainly or
too often.
From every point of view, therefore it has seemed
to be duty to speak these declarations of purpose
to add these specific interpretations to what took the
liberty of saying to the Senate in January Our en-
trance into the has altered our attitude towards
the settlement that must when it is over When
said in January that the nations of the world were
entitled not only to free pathways upon the sea but
also to be assured unmolesed access to those path
ways was thinking and am thinking now not of the
smaller and weaker nations alone, which need our
countenance and support but also of the great and
powerful nations, and Of present enemies as well
as Our present associates IN the war. I was thinking
and am thinking now, of Austria herself, among the
rest as well as of Serbia and Poland. Justice and
equality OF rights can be had only great price We
seeking permanent not temporary foundations for
the peace of the world and must seek them candidIy
and fearlessy As always, the right will prove to be
expedient sE,a...a
What shall we do, then, to push this great war of
freedom and justice to its righteous conclusion? We
must clear away with thorough hand all mpedments
to success and we must make every adjustment of law
that will facilitate the full and free use of our whole
capacity and force as a fighting unit
One very embarrassing obstacle that stands in our
way is that we are at war with Germany but not with
her allies therefore very earnestly recommend that
the Congress ipaedaisy declare the United States IN
4 state of war with Hungary. Does II seem
strange you that this should bs the conciusion Of