Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-12-06

ment must AFFECT, our enemies as well
as our friends.
Final and Convincing Lesson.
You catch with me, the voices of
humanity that are in the 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 a single country have them
selves done deep and damnable wrong.
1t is this thought that has been ex-
pressed in the formula No anneNa-.
tons. no contributions, no punitive in
IDENTITIES just because this crude
formula expresses the instructive iudg-
ment as to right of plain men every
Where. it has been made diligent use
OF by the masters of German intrigue
to lead the people of Russia astray-
and the people of every country their
agents could reach in order that
premature peace might be brought
about before autocracy has been taught
its final and convincing lesson, and
the people of the world put in control
of their own destinies.'
Right as the Arbiter.
but the fact that wrong use has
been made of a just idea is no reason
why a right use should not be made of
it. 1t ought to be brought under the
patronage of it's real friends. let it be
said again that autocracy must first be
shown the utter futility of its claims To
power or leadership in the modern
world. 1t is impossible to apply any
standard of Justice so long ;ts sucl,
forces are unchecked and uladefeatea
as the present masters of Germany
command. Not until This has been
done con Right be set up as al-biter
and pehcemailcr among the nations.
Bnt when that has been done--as. God
willing, it assilredly will bc--we shall
1T last be free to do an unprecedented
thing. and this the time to avow our.
purpose to do il. We shall be free to
base pence on generosity and Justice,
to the exclusion of all selfish claims 10
advantage even on the part of the VIC.
tors.
To Win War Our Present Task
LET there be no misunderstanding.
Our present and Immediate task is to
win 1he war, and nothing shall turu us
aside from it until it is accomplished.
Every power and resource we possess.
whether of men, of money, or of ma
terials, is being devoted and viii CON
time to be devoted TO that purpose
until it is achieved Those who de-
sire to bring peace about before that
purpose is achieved I counsel to carry
llleir advice elsewhere. We will not
-ente,tain it. We shall regard the war
MS won only when the German people
sly TO us, through properly accredited
representatives, that they are ready to
agree to settlement based upon JUS
tiee 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 people than
their oWn--over the great empire of
Austria-H Hungary, other hitherto free
BALKAN states, over Turkey. and within
.N5i;i-wllich must be relin,ushed.
Must End German Autocracy
'ISermany's success by skill by in
dus,fS, by knowledge, by enterprise,
so did not grudge or oppose, but adj
laired rather She had built up for
herself {, real empire of trade and IN
thence. secured by the peace OF ille
world. We We're content to aide The
liNalrieS of manufacturer. science aHd
commerce. that We're involved for US in
her success and stand or fall as we
/ hid or did not have the bruins and the
initiative to surpass her. But at the
| atanent when she had conspicuously.
/ Won her triumphs OF peace She throw
/ them away, to establish in their stead
| what the world will no longer permit
| to he established, military and political
| domination by arms, by which to Gust
| where she could not excel the rivals
| 1hc most feared and hated. The peace
We make must remedy that wrong. il
must deliver the once fair lands and
/ happy peoples of Belgium and north
/ n France from the Prlssian conquest
/
| also deliver the peoples of Austr@
/ Hungary, the peoples of the Balkans,
| and the peoples of Turkey, alike in
1 Europe and in Asia, from the innpudent
and alien dominion of the prHsSiHi!
| iiitary and commercial aut0eracy
To Manage Their Own Affairs.
we owe 1T, however TO ourselves 10
@ay that we do not wish in any way 10
irnnail or TO re-alIange the Austlu-
hungarian empire. Ii is no affair Of
mrs what they do with their own life,
either indust1ially or politically. We
10 not purpose or desire to dictate 10
! llen In any way We only desire to
see that their affairs are left in their
own hands. in all matters, great or
small. We shall hope to secure for the
peoples of tho Balkan peninsula ahii
FOR lie people of the Turkish en9,il.,
The right ahd opportunity 10 make
tlelr own nves safe; tlleir own ffhs
funcs secure against oppression, or III
Justice and free from the dictation OF
foreign courts or parties.
'And o,n' attitude and purpose wifi
regard to Germany herself are of Z
like kind. We intend no wrong againl
the German empire; no interference
with her internal affairs. We Should
deem either the one or the other alb
solutely uniustitiahle, absolutely con
trarys TO the principles we have pro
NV, 10 I<,1,f