The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-12-14

life of the world-we shall be willing
and glad to pay the full price for peace
and pay it ungrUdgingly.
We know what that price will be.
It wifi, be full. impartial justice-jus-
tice done at every point, and to every
nation that the final settlement must
affect, our enemies, as well as our
friends.
You catch, with me, the voices of
humanity that are in Che air. They
grow daily more audible, more articu-
late, more persuasive, and they come
from the hearts Of men everywhere.
They insist that the war shall not end
in vindictive action of any kind; that
no nation or people shall be robbed or
punished because the irresponsible
rulers of single country have them
selves done deep and abominable
wrong. It is this thought that has been
expressed in the formula. mo annexa-
ton, no contributions, no punitive in
IDENTITIES
Just because this crude formula ex-
presses the instructive judgment as to
right of plain men everywhere 1t has
been made diligent use Of by the mas
tiers of German intrigue to lead the
people of Russia astray-and the peo-
pie of every other country their agents
could reach, in order that premature
peace might be brought about before
autocracy has been taught its final and
n
the world put in control of their own
destinies.
Autocracy Must BE Dethroned.
But the fact that wrong use has
been made of just idea is no reason
why a right use should not be made of
it. 1t ought to be brought under the
patronage of its real friends. Let it
be said again that autocracy must first
be shown the utter futility of its
claims to power or to leadership in the
modern world. 1t is impossible to ap-
ply any standard of justice SO long as
such forces are unchecked and unde-
feated as the present masters of Ger
many command
Not until that has been done can
right be set up as arbiter and peace
maker among the nations. But when
that has been done-as, God, willing,
it assuredly will be-we shall at last
be free to do an unprecedented thing
and this is the time to avow our pur-
pose to do it. We shall be free to
base peace on generosity and justice,
to the exclusion of all selfish claims to
advantage even on the part of the vic
tors.
Our Task Is To Win the War.
Let there be no misunderstanding
Our present and immediate task is to
win the war, and nothing shall turn
us aside from it until it is accom-
plished. Every power and resource we
possess, whether of men, of money
or of materials, is being devoted and
will continue to be devoted to that
purpose until it is achieved.
Those who desire to bring peace
about before that purpose is achieved
counsel to carry their advice else
where. We will not entertain 1t. We
shall regard the war as won only when
the German people say to US, through
properly accredited representatives,
that they are ready to agree to set
Element based upon justice and the
reparation Of the wrongs their rulers
have done.
They have done wrong to Belgium
which must be repaired They have
established a power over other lands
and peoples than their own-over the
great Empire of Austria-Hungary, over
hitherto free Balkan States, over Tur-
key and within Asia-which must be
relinquished.
Teuton Allies Must Be Liberated.
Germany's success by skill, by in
dustry, by knowledge, by enterprise
we did not grudge or oppose, but ad-
mired rather. She had built up for
herself real empire of trade and in
fluence, secured by the peace of the
world. We were content to abide the
commerce that were involved for us
in her success and stand or fall as we
had or did not have the brains and
the initiative to surpass her.
But at the moment when she had
conspicuously won her triumphs of
peace she threw them away, to estab-
lish in their stead what the world will
no longer permit to be established,
military and political domination 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 Bel
GUM and Northern France from the
Prussian conquest and the Prussian
menace, but II must also deliver the
peoples of Austria-Hungary, the peo-
pies of the Balkans and the peoples of
Turlxav alila in Eur0no and in A cio