The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-12
AWAIT REPLY
OF RUSSIA
CONTINUED from page H.


are too momentous, too tremendous
too significant for the whole humal
race to permit any misinterpretatlol
or MISUNDERSTANDING, however sign,
to remain uncorrected for moment
1.-THE war has begun to go agalns
! Germany and in their desperate dc
| sire to escape the inevitable ultimate
defeat, those who are in authority II
Germany are using every possible In
! strumentality, aye making use ever
| of the influence Of groups and par
| ties among their own subjects u
whom they have never been just u
fair or even tolerant, to promote
propaganda on both sides of the sea
which will preserve for them their
influence at home and their power
abroad, to the undoing of the very
men they are using.
1.-THE position of America in this
war is so clearly avowed that no
man can be excused for installing 1t.
She seeks no material profit or ag-
grandizement of any kind. She is
fighting for no advantage or selfish
object of her own but for the liberia
alton of peoples everywhere from the
aggressions of autocratic force. the
ruling classes in Germany have De-
gun of late to profess like liberal
ity and Justice Of purpose, but only
to preserve the power they have
set up In Germany and the selfish
which they have wrongly
gained for themselves and their priv
ate projects Of power all the way
from Berlin to Bagdad and beyond.
after government has by
their influence. without open con-
quest of its territory, been linked to-
gether in a net of intrigue directed
against nothing less than the peace
and liberty of the world. The meshes
of that intrigue must be broken, but
cannot be broken unless wrongs al
ready done are undone; and adequate
must be taken to prevent
it from ever again being rewoyen or
repaired
'tOf course, the imperial govern
ment and those whom it is using for
their own undoing are seeking to
obtain pledges that the war will end
In the restoration Of the status quo
ante. It was the status quo ante out
Of which this ubiquitous war issued
forth, the power of the imperial Ger
man government within the empire
and it's widespread domination and
influence outside of that empire.
That status must be altered In such
fashion as to prevent any such hide
ous thing from ever happening again.
''We are fighting for the liberty,
he self government and the undict-
ated development of all peoples, and
svery feature Of the settlement that
concludes this war must be conceiv-
I'd and executed for that purpose.
Wrongs must first be righted
and then adequate safeguards must
be created to prevent their being
committed again. Remedies must be
'ound as well as statements of prin-
,iple that will have pleasing and
,onorous sound. Practical questions
Phrases will not achieve
will; and whatever readjustments
are necessary must be made.
"But they must follow a principle
and that principle is plain. No
people must be forced under SOW
ereignty under which it does not
wish to live. No territory must
,hange hands except for the purpose
If securing those who inhabit it a
air chance Of life and liberty. No
must be insisted on ex-
.ept those that constitute payment
or manifest wrongs done. No re-
adjustments of power must be made
except such as will tend to secure
he future peace of the world and
he future welfare and happiness Of
Is peoples.
And then the free peoples Of the
world must draw together in some
COMMON covenant, some genuine and
PRACTICAL cooperation that will In
fleet combine their force to secure
'eace and justice in the dealings of
ations with one another.
THE brotherhood of mankind must
70 longer be fair but empty phrase;
must be given a structure Of force
nd reality. The nations must real
re their common life and effect a !
'orkable partnership to secure that |
fe against the aggressions of auto
ratio and self pleasing power.
For these things we can afford TO |
our out blood and treasure. For
lese are the things we have always |
to desire, and unless we
our out blood and treasure now and
lcceed, we may never be able 10
mite or show conquering force again
/ the great cause Of human liberty l.
he day has come to conquer or sub
it.
eff the forces OF autocracy car
vide us, they will overcome US; if
e stand together, victory is certain
Id the liberty which victory will Sc
Ire. We can afford then to be gen.
GUS, but we cannot afford then or
wv to be weak or omit any single
larantee Of justice and security"
MERICA DEFEATED Ii
At THE START