Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-12-05
The PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
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tspotesmen whose words we can be-
llieve and when those spokesman are
Iready in the name Of their people to
laccept the common judgment Of
1.-THE nations as to what shall hence
forth be the bases of faw and of COW
snant for the life of the world-we
shall be willing and glad to pay the
full price for peace, and pay 1t un-
lgrudgingly. We know what that price
WIN be. It will be full. impartial jus
Ece-justice done at every point and
TO every nation. that the final settle
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 annexa-
tons, no contributions, no punitive In
IDENTITIES Just because this crude
formula expresses the instructive judg
ment as to right Of plain men every
where, 1t 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 a
premature peace might be brought
about before autocracy has been taught
8ts final and convincing lesson, and
the people of the wsrId put in control
of their own destinies."
b., Right as the Arbiter.
But the fact that wrong use has
been made of Just idea is no reason
why right use should not be made of
II, 1t ought to be brought under the
patronage of its 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 as such
forces are unchecked and undefeated
las the present masters of Germany
command. Not until this has been
done can Right be set up as arbiter
and peacemaker among the nations.
But when that has been dOne-as, God
willing, it assuredly will be-we shall
lat hast be free to do an unprecedented
thing, and this 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 part Of the vic
tors.
To Win War Our Present Task.
LET there be no misunderstanding.
Our present and immediate task is to
win the war, and nothing shall turn us
aside from 1t until it is accomplished.
Every power and resource we possess,
whether Of men, Of money, or OF ma
aerials, is being devoted and will con-
itinue to be devoted to that purpose
Mntil 1t is achieved Those who de-
ssire to bring peace about before that
purpose is achieved / counsel to carry
their advice elsewhere. We will not
ientertain 1t. We shall regard the war
as won only when the German people
say TO us, through properly accredited
Representatives, that they are ready to
agree to a settlement based upon JUS
jtfce and the PREPARATION Of the wrongs
their rulers have done. They have
done a wrong to Belgium which must
he repaired. They have established
power over other lands and people than
their Own-Over the great empire of
Austra-Hungary, other hitherto free
Balkan states, over Turkey, and within
Asia--which must be relinquished.
Must End German Autocracy.
IS "Gerlnany's success by skill, by in
Nustry, by knowledge, by enterprise
we did not grudge or oppose, but nd
Infred, rather. She had built up for
herself real empire Of trade and in
ifiuence, secured by the peace of the
world. We were content to abide the
rivalries of manufacture, science and
,conlmerce that were involved for us I'm
bier success and stand or fall as we
had or did not have the brains and the
Anltlative to surpasS her. But at the
moment when she had conspicuously
won her triumphs of peace she threw
them away, to establish in their stead
what the world will no longer permit
to be established, military and political
domination by arms, by which to GUST
where she could not excel the rivals
she most feared and hated. The peace
We make must remedy that wrong. II
must deliver the once fair lands and
happy peoples Of Belgium and north
ern France from the Prussian conquest
and the Prussian menace, but ii must
also deliver the peoples of Austria
Hungary, the peoples q the Balkans,
and the peoples of Turkey, alike in
Europe and in Asia, from the impudent
End alien dominion Of the Prussian
military and commercial autocracy.
To Manage Their Own Affairs.
"We owe II, however, to ourselves to
,bot y,-o 40 mot xufcb I'm ony yUoy IN