The Detroit times., 1917-01-25

governments who refers 20 IL should
spt al with equal frsnkness u IS
Impossible that ne and we can look
Ou 10 from the same point or view
We believe that the essence OF this
&C nfiCt is question which ~ as old
rs time--the 8 nerCnce between right
and wrong. We believe, We know,
mat this war r. "A war OF naked ag
'Ompanied the conduct OF tho war.
" hich have been unknown in the
orld for centuries, are small In COM
parison with the initial crime OF
rlnnEing the world into war by cold
hloodcd calculation because those
responsible thought IL would pay.
You know that. almost mp 20 our
own day. duelling continued Just
by the sword has become unthink-
able. so we may hope that the tim.
viii come when all the nations uf
the world viii play the part which
Ito act as constable and keep peace.
That time viii come. | hope.
But this whole subject Is not an
abstract question for the future. II
Is a question Of life and death now.
In judging whether that result can
be secured by his methods. " ~ inn
possible for Us 20 forget tho past,
For generations. humane men, men
~ good VIII among all nations. have
striven. by The Hague convention,
by peace conferences and by ell 9TH
or means. 10 make war impossible. or
al least to mitigate the horrors OF
war. When war comes, by what
means can these barriers built up
against barbsrism be made eToctive7
They cannot be preserved by the bel
ligerents. n any Of them choose To-
ignore them. IL is only from neu-
trat statcs TINT effective sanction
can be given them.
What happcned7 ~ the vsrv out
hrrak ~ tho war. the Germans swept
aside every one of these barriers.
Thcy tore up treaties that they o. hem-
selves soicmnly had signed They
strewed mines IN the open sea. They
committed every actrocity on sea
and land against The Hague conven-
tion. which they had themselves
They made war on women and chill
dren. hey destroyed neutTals a.
ruthies as thev dld their enemies.
~ this moment they arc driving the
TITO slavery Worse even than that
they are makinG some ~ tho sub
fecfs ~ their enemies take up arms
agains' thor own country.
All this has been done and NO neu-
trai power has hoen able o. stop ".
any protest against 40. We must then
take other means To- secure the fu-
ture peace 81 the world
We have rejected the German Of
from lust of conquest or desire for
shining victories We have rejected
10. not from a spirit of vindirtivc-
ness or desire for revenge. but be-
cause peace now would mean a peace
based on victory.
II would he peace which would
leave the MILITARY machine unbrok"n
with the halo of success surrounding
" II would leave the control ~
that r7achine IN the hands of tho
same mon who. for n generation. pre-
pared Tor war. who would make tho
seme pr"parctinn again ara who
would choose their own time 80
plunge the world into the horrors
which We are now enduring.
Our aim is tho SAM ag President
Wilson's what he Is lOngfrg for We
are fghtirr for our sons AID broth
ers are riskinE their lives for 10. and
We mean 90 secure ~
The hearts 81 the people of this
country are longing for peace: we
arc pravine for peace. for peace
which viii bring hack o. We In safety
those who are 0ghtirg our battles,
ard a peace which viii rean That
those who viii not come hnck have
not laid down their lives in vain.