The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-15
SHALL GERMANY GO FREE2


Pope Benedict's peace proposal
probably is inspired by the emperor of
Austria with the consent and conniv-
ance of the kaiser. These rulers must
be convinced by this time that victory
for their armies is impossible Their
resources have been strained to the
breaking point. They realize that the
sooner they IAN enter upon negotia-
tions the better terms they may OBJ
tain.
Negotiation of any kind with a ma
ton that ignores honor and humanity
is out of the question The strivings
for peace on its part are undetermined
attempts to re-esta blish a power de-
termined to enslave the world with
its brutality. That power is rocking
at its foundations IL must be struck
down and swept off the face of the
earth.
Anyone, then. who is for peace IN
der the present status is either pro-
German or a misguided fanatic, dan
gerous to the country. 1t is treason
able to the cause of liberty to advo-
cate peace at this time or at any time
until Germany has been forced to a
complete surrender.
As, tho anticipating the proposal
emanating from the vatican the Bache
Review this week says:
What is becoming more and more
impressed on the world is that the
guilty in this war must suffer. 1t is
not that revenge may be accomplish
ed One says there is only one Judge
who can pronounce sentence in such
a case. and that is the great Judge of
all. But that is Sinking responsible
ity.
Nature pronounces sentence upon
violations of her law every hour, every
moment of the day. She visits dire
consequences upon violations, and so
radically correets tendencies to vio-
late.
Shall Germany be allowed to bring
about the death or disablement of mill
lions of men, ruthIessly murder thous-
ands of women and children, bring on
a whirlwind of destruction in the
world, (the record of which is piling
up towards a hundred billions of
wealth wiped out) and then go unpun-
ished and so be provided with a mo-
tive for again breaking out upon the
civilized world with her fury of scien-
tific savagery? There is no assured
allowed to go free and unpublished
Let US drop the terms annexation
and indemnities'' and instead use the
title of that handmade of Justice, the
word restitution
That means. return of all that has
been stolen and destroyed, and with
it penalty for damages to put the
condition back, as far as money and
property can do it, where it was be-
fore the pillage and destruction be-
gan.
Restitution in it's broadest sense is
what justice demands of Germany, not
in any spirit of hate or vindictiveness,
which is, however. well justified, but
in calm. impartial Judgment of the
right and the wrong of the matter
Can anyone doubt that, under such
judicial decision of restitution. vast
amends would have to be made to
stricken Belgium, to devastated
France; and that the restoration of
Alsace-Lorraine would be made inn
peratfve?
No restitution, alas, can be made
for lives lost, for women dishonored
in the houses and in the marke
places. for children cruelty manned,
for scientific mutilations of men pris-
these savage brutalities must in the
end go unpublished
The mawkish talk of letting Ger
many go scot free for all her murder
Gus brutalities is a result of German
propaganda Every American citizen
should set teeth against such maudlin
Soodyism-