Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-10
DEMANDS U. S. GIVE
AIMS OF PRESENT
STRIFE
STATEMENT
CONGRESSMAN FROM NORTH DA.
KOTA SAYS PEOPLE ARE NOT
LACKING IN LOYALTY, BUT
TERMS SETTLEMENT WILL BE
MADE.

Washington, Aug. 10-An open de-
mand that the United States immedi-
ately declared its war aims was made
today by John M. Baer, OF North Da-
kota, who qualified as a representa-
late Henry T. Helgeson. Elected on
| the platform of the National non.
! partisan league. Baer, after taking the
oath of Office issued a statement re-
viewing the reasons for mis- election.
my constituents declared Mr..
Baer, "in common with the people Of
this nation, are ready and willing to
pour our blood and treasure without
limit in order to defend and preserve
our country. They do not lack in 10y
atty and willingness to support the
government in wagng war to make
the world safe for democracy. PatriO-
tism, however, cannot be stirred in a
war for the destruction Of German
autocracy in Europe ii it is begun by
the suppression Of democracy in
America.
president Wilson well exemplifed
= with the temper of the American peo-
;. shall make good with our lives and
fortunes, the great faith to which we
. were born" Congress already has
;, pledged the lives of the men OF this
:, nation, and that without first securing
!. their consent, but still refuses to con-
script the private fortunes to defray
the cost Of war To C0nscript men,
y and at the same time allow monopol-
= istic corporations to profit upon the
II !, worlds misery, is undemocratic and
" repugnant to American ideals of lib
erty and justice. 1t Is monstrous
! injustice to ask the survivors of
bloody fields to come home and pay
the money cost of war
= Even now the German people are
, demanding of their government that
! it declare specifically the terms upon
which it will make peace. In our
country the national PARTISAN league
. stands without reserve upon demand
that our government make specific
= declaration of its terms of peace so
that we as a people may know that
: the ideal for which we war is an ex-
preston of true Amercanism TO
. continue war when the peoples of
the nation engaged are at agreement
is an international crime.
Germany holds conquered terri
Itory in France Belgium and the Bal
kans equal in area to her own Euro
= pean territory prior to the war Ger
many cannot be allowed to hold these
people in subjection nor to make his
>. profit as a result of the murderous
;, assault upon the peace of the world
4 by the Imperialists of the European
- nations But while we are fighting to
- destroy German Imperialism shall we
>. fight to support British imperialism?
,t Already as result Of the war Eng
land holds in Africa million square
miles of territory. After an imperial
- council had been held recently by the
British and colonial governments OF
-. - the British Empire the Premier stat.
w. ed to the world that Great Britain
-. would not relinQuish It's hold upon
10 this territory.
,,r president Wilson says that we are
no in accord with the aims of our al
III lies and their aims are in accord with
urs. II that be true then are we not
-, fighting for imperialism and not for
= for democracy? While engaged in
=, righteous war against German I'm
- peralism why should the United
- States aid England or any other coun
~ try in their imperialistic designs
ok Let us drag these questions out before
of the whole world and settle them, be
fore the bar of world opinion? II
na. the German people and government
ian are now willing to settle this war OF
ca. the basis of the demands Of our gov
aed ernment we should no longer continue
to war, We cannot know that we arr
l., not sending our young, strong, capable
as men to die in the trenches. not fo
~, democracy, but for Imperialism, un
ish less the thing for which they fgh
ion. be explicitly specified. Shall we den!
,vel to the patriotic young men, the flow
hin. er of our nation who go to suffe
lin. and to die in foreign lands the rea
sons for which they die.
To-day our people do not know