The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-08-30
THURSDAY, AUGUST 80, 1917.
Response to Papal Note--Response of
America.

IfGSldent wilson, In MS response TO
the papal note for peace, has made an
anewer which is distinctively an answer
of the American people. 1t is thor
oughly representative of the views of
the people of these United States as
to the future of the war with tyranny
and butchery. 1t leaves no gateway for
retreat. 1t says emphatically that the
United States Of America has put it's
hand to the pillow and that there is
to be % turning back until the altruis-
tic ideas of this nation are attained.
IT leaves no doubt as to the position
that this great nation is to take when
it comes to a compromise with butchery
and horror. The cardinal idea Of his
reply to the Pope is that the tyranny
ana brutality of the Prussianized Ger
many must be driven from the world,
that the Kaiser s dream of world pow
or, erected on the ruin of smaller ma
tons must be turned into night mare,
that militarism the ruthless master of
the German people must be conquered
ana that there must be no peace until
peace can come with the assurance that
there never can again be war.
There is no hint of Interior motives
in the reply that President Wilson has
made to His Holiness. There is no lack
Of dignified consideration of the mo-
tives which may have prompted the Of
fer of mediation. The President, in
simple language free from the sugges-
tion of bombast, states clearly the issue
Of this nation in a battle of royal in
trigue against the rights of all the pe0-
PIE Tt emphasizes clearly that the
United States government makes no
war upon German people but upon Ger
man systems and without subterfuge
or any kind it points out that the
Urited States is ready to continue to
make war on autOcracy until the ma
tiops Of the world, including Germany,
r a'l ho free from the rule of autocratic
claiming the Divine Rights of
i
TIC rerlv of President Wilson leaves
TT "ho-rro FOR a misunderstanding of the
"ves Of the people of the United
s. It leaves no chance for any
il'e that this Lation hopes to gain in
rritory or commercial supremacy by
the outcome of the war. 1t says:
'tThe purposes of the United States
IL this war are known to the whole
world-to every people to whom the
truth has been permitted to come. They
do not need to be stated again. We
seek no material advantage of any
kind, We believe that the intolerablc
wrongs done in this war by the furious
and brutal power of the imperial Ger
man government ought to be repaired,
but not at the expense of the sovereign
ty, both of those that are weak and Of
those that are strong"
The response is not suggestion of
an armistice but call for holy war.
IT realizes no chanhce of settlement Of
the question at issue until it can be
brought to a permanent settlement. 1t
casts aside the questions of indemnities
and changes of territorial lines for the
broader question of human freedom. 1t
IS plea for the weak made stronger
by the guarantee of the might of the
strong. 1t is plea for the strong to
have chance to maintain their strength
without encroaching upon the weak. In
every line of it can be read the plea
for equality of opportunity to the
weak and strong alike.
There is no expression of hatred. If
the wounds of war have burned deep
there is no demand that hate shall be
the panacea for their cure. 1t is sug-
gstive of world wide union for peace
and freedom but for peace and free
dom bought with the guarantee of the
Iuture.
In his reply President Wilson has
scunJed the key note of the entire all
lied fcrces. Other nations can take no
other stand on the papal call for peace
It comes, not from nation in the last
throes of war, but from a nation fresh
and vigorous ready to supply a world
with the munitions of war that it may
battle for an honorable peace Tt is not
sroject to misunderstanding. The Pres
ident has spoken in trite paragraphs but
everyone Of them bears the approval of
a great patriotic people. It may be
cocn to criticism from men who would
take peace at any price but not by
men who believe in human freedom and
national honor 1t is the greatest of
the great state papers of the President.
1t may have been evolved from the
brain Of one man or by the concerted
work of many but it is representative
Of the sentiment of the nation and it
represents a sentiment that patriotic
citizens Of the nation will endorse with
their moral support, their treasure and
if it need be with their life's blood.
Verify, these are the days when the
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