Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-12-06

no annexati0ns, no .contrlputio"0' nv
punitive indemnities." Just because TINS
crude formula expresses the instructive
judgment as to right Of plain men every
where II has been made diligent use Of
by the masters of German intrigue to
lead the people Of Russia astray-and the
people of every other country their agents
could reach, In order that premature
peace might be brought about before
autocracy has been taught It's maj ana
convincing lesson and the people OF the
world put in control Of their own destinies'
But the fact that wrong use mas peeh
made of a just idea is no reason why q
right use should not be made OF IT, IL
ought to be brought under the patronage
of its real friends.
Let It be said again that autocracy must
Arst be shown the utter futility OF its
claims to power or leadership in the mod
ern world. 1t is impossible to apply
any standard Of justice as long as such
forces are unchecked and undefeated as
the present masters Of Germany COM
mand. Not until that has been done
can right be set up as arbiter ana peace
maker among the nations. But when
| that has been done-as. God willing. It
assuredly will be-we shall at least be
free to do an unprecedented thing ana
| this is the time to avow our purpose 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 victors.
PRESENT TAX IS TO WIN WAR.
Let there be no misunderstanding. Our
present and immediate task is to win
the war and nothing shall turn US aside
from 1t until 1t IL accomplished. 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 1t Is achieved.
Those who desire to bring peace about
before that purpose 10 achieved counsel
to carry their advice elsewhere. We will
not entertain 1t. We shall regard the wal
as won only when the German people
say to US through properly accredited
representatives that they are ready tc
agree to a settlement based upon justice
and the reparation Of the wrongs theil
rulers have done. They have done Q
wrong to Belgium which must be repaired
They have established a power over othel
lands and peoples than their own-ovel
the great empire Of Austria. Hungary
over hitherto free Balkan States. ovel
Turkey, and within Asia-which must b,
relinquished.
GERMANY'S FATAL ERROR.
Germany's success by skill. by industry
by knowledge. by enterprise we did no
grudge or Oppose, but admired rather
She had built up for herself a real empir
of trade and influences. secured by tn
peace of the world. We were conten
to abide the rivairies Of manufacture
science and commerce that were involves
for us in her success and stand or fal
as we had or did not have the brains an
the initiative to surpass ner. But at tn
moment when she had conspicuously wo
her triumphs Of peace she threw ther
away, to establish In their stead wha
: the world will no longer permit to b
established, military and political dom
nation by arms. by which to Dust wher
! she could not excel the rivals she mos
feared and hated.
PEACE IS ANTI-PRUSSIANISM.
The peace we must make must remed
that wrong. It must deliver the ono
fair lands and happy peoples Of Belgium
: and northern France from the Prussia
conquest and the Prussian menace. bt
) It must also deliver the peoples Of Aus
> tria-Eungary. the peoples Of the Balkan
: and the peoples Of Turkey, alike
. Europe. in Asia from the impudent an
Q alien domination Of the Prussian militar
Y and commercial autocracy.
n We owe 1t, however. to ourselves.
!; say that we do not wish in any way
s impair or to rearrange the Austro-Hul
70 garian empire. 1t is no affair Of ou
n what they do with their own life, eth
10 industrially or politically. We do n
10 purpose or desire to dictate to them
# any way. We only desire to see tn,
: their affairs are left in their own hand
II in all matters, great or small We sha
+ hope to secure for the peoples Of II
e Balkan peninsula and for the peoples
II the Turkish empire the right and oppo
?. tunity to make their own lives SAT
II their own fortunes secure against oppre
It sion or injustice and from the dictati,
e of foreign courts or parties.
IS GERMANS NOT THREATENED.
And our attitude and purpose with =
gard to Germany herself are of a III
l. kind. We intend no wrong against L
W German empire. no interference with h
Q, internal affairs. We should deem eth
10 the one or the other absolutely unjus
1t fable. absolutely contrary to the pri
70 ciples we have professed to live by Al
n to hold most sacred throughout our II
e as a nation.
lie The people Of Germany are being tc
ID by the men whom they now permit
1t deceive them and to act as their maste
Ia that they are fighting for the very Il