Arizona republican., 1917-12-26
PREMATURE PEACE
 |S CONDEMNED BY
 LEAGUE FUR UNITY
Republican A. p. Leased Wire]

NEW YORK. Dec. 23-The League for National Unity today issued declaration, signed by it's officers and executive committee, in which all ef- forts toward a premature peace are condemned and the determination of continuing the war until military victory is achieved and the autocratic power of the imperial German gov ernment is broken, is pledged.
 "We are in this war to conquer the enemy's armies,' declares the state ment, though not his territory or population. We intend to nullify the power of the imperial German govern ment. We do not intend that 1t shall gain, at the expense of other nations, 1 either an enlargement of territory or ; an expansion of industrial and com- mercial opportunities or an increase of prestige
 l "When German military reverses 1 obliterate past victories and the war map becomes unfavorable, no doubt some of the German parties will be-
 gin to consider the peace principles of world democracy" the statement con-
 cludes But no influential German party yet sees coming defeat. There | is therefore, as yet no common ground for discussion between the partisans of might and the partisans of right.
 The imperial German government, foiled and defeated in it's plan to crip- pie the great self governing nations of the world, first France, next England, last the United States, is seeking to achieve through it's proposals for peace
 what it has been unable to obtain by arms.
 'The imperial German government l fe-n in 1on Ci h a
 conflict between autocracy and
 democracy before it shall be too late.
 All who are willing to compromise on
 this issue are willing to aid despotism
 as all who urged compromise on Abra- | nam Lincoln in the Civil War aided
 slavery. The American people today
 are fighting for their own liberty as
 well as for the freedom of the world . The world cannot be safe for democ-
 racy so long as an organized autoc-
 racy-its people still believing it vic tor1ous-is intrenched in the center o1
 Europe leading 10,000,00O armed mer and possessing the resources of 170,-
 100000 people in the worlds centra position for all seas and all continents
 Asserting that the underlying cause
 for Americas entrance into the wal
 was that the German government Zen. dangers our safety and challenges oul freedom,' the statement declares that President Wilson was the true spokes- man of the American people when he ' said in his message to congress thai 7 the American people are impatient witt T those who desire peace by any sort oi
 compromised
 No compromise is conceivable, , : continues the declaration, If the Ger.
 man government is not utterly brought l n n 1 Hrrr T l ical revolution from within. Since 2
 lasting world peace is our chief wal aim, which of Germanys crimes can W,
 afford to accept as innocent acts anC . permit to be repeated and continued
 Which oppressed nationality can W, r safely abandon to her sovereignty f What slaughter of innocents and de t structlon of their property shall W, Q leave without such reparation as cal 2 be afforded by financial indemnity |? Quoting from President Wilson's as F sertions that the war will not be wol
 until the rulers of the German peopl r make reparation for the wrongs the = have done, the league asserts that in
 demnities should be paid in the case
 of Belgium, Serbia, Poland, Rumani T and France.
 = The League for National Unity wa . organized in Washington last Septem V, Der. Its purposes are to create a me ! dium through which loyal American 4 of all classes can give expression {
 the fundamental purpose of the Unite
 States to carry on the war to a sue
 cessful conclusion Cardinal Jame
 Gibbons is honorary chairman of tn '. league and Theodore N Vail, presiden n of the American Telephone and Tele n graph company, is chairman. Anon d the vice chairmen are Samuel Gonper A president of the American Federatio It of Labor, and George Pope, presider e of the National Association of Manu n, facturers