New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-24
Peace by Christmas Is Now
Slogan Of the Peoples
Council
Date Is Not Yet Set
Lochner Favors Bringing the
Belligerent Missions
Together
Peace by Christmas"

Peace by Christmas!'
Scott Nearing, chairman of the ex-
oGutive council of the Peoples Coun-
Gil of America, argued in an article
published yesterday in the fortnightly
bulletin of the organization that peace
VIII be attained by Christmas "if the
voice of the people is Needed"
II this is war for democracy"
DR.. Nearing writes. at should stop
when the people say so. The people of
Russia have spoken. The people of
France, Italy, England and Germany
are speaking at every opportunity in
favor of peace. The American peo-
pie said what they could on November
.. II the voice of the people is needed,
negotiations will be begun at once.
The peace conference will be convened
the world will be war-free by Christ
mas.
People Want Peace
Whenever they have had chance
to express themselves the people have
spoken against the continuance Of war;
spoken for peace. If this is a demo-
cratic war, there is only one democratic
thing to do, and that is to stop it.
War Made By Rulers
"The war which is devastating Europe
was made by rulers and ruling classes.
1t is not now, nor has it ever been,
a peoples war. President Wilson just
ly insists that no people ever went
to war with another people, Govern
ments have gone to war with one an
other Peoples, so far as l remember,
have not.
'If the peace that follows this war
is to be anything more than tempo
rary cessation Of hostilties, it must
be peoples peace-a peace made by
the masses, in the interest of man
kind.
"The rulers have failed to prevent
war. The rulers have failed to bring
peace and order out of chaos. Is any
part Of our civilization TO be sayed
The people must save it. The people
will save it,
1t is explained in The Bulletin,
whose publication was delayed ten
days until the mystery OF Scott Near
lng's whereabouts was revealed, that
the purpose Of Meanings trans CONT
mental tour was to prepare the way
for the gathering in Washington Of
strong working group, representative
OF all elements in the Peoples Coun-
ell movement" The date of the meet
ing Of that group has not yet been
determined, but following the instruc-
lions Of the Chicago convention, the
national executive committee is arrang-
ing for the creation of such a body.
Quoting President Wilson's remark in
regard u labor disputes at the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor convention
at Buffalo, that "a settlement is always
hard to avoid when the parties can
be brought face TO face" Louis ?.
Rochner in another article in The
Bulletin tries 10 apply the reasoning
to international affairs. He says:
"Supposing that German and Allied
missions were brought together in
some secluded spot and made virtual
prisoners until they had arrived at
some agreement No one could charge
that that would be interfering with
the military progress Of the war. In
fact, our soldiers might conceivably
fight all the harder, knowing that the
same principles for which they were
contcnding by force Of arms were also
the objective toward which all the
brains of our mission were directed"