Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-05
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! Editor The Courier - A drawn bat
| tie or world wide domination, which
Shall this European conflict end in a
draw, leaving the nations unchanged
in relative strength and position, or
| shall the fight go on to knockout?
! Does the answer to these questions
concern neutrals? Has America an
interest in this phase of the war set
! Element?
| 1t can avail nothing to cavil about
the origin of this great world war. At
the bottom of all wars lie somebody's
wrong and guilt.
The most Christian peoples of the
| world are in this war. 1t were mad
ness to demand the destruction of a
whole people because someone has
Numbered or worse. How shall we
| stop this war, that is the question.
The central allies have proposed to
stop the war and to leave the warning
nations relatively about as they stood
before the conflict began. England and
| her allies say. mo" They speak of a
peace but the peace they demand lies
in the future and on conditions they
have not made clear They veil their
demands in vague phrases about rep
aration to small nations" guarantees
of lasting peace" and the like.
While Germany promises fun money
PREPARATION to injured Belgium and sug.
gests that the allies. too, should make
reparation to outraged Greece, the
answer is that the war must proceed
to Knockout" And England and
her allies declare that nothing short
OF this knockout win insure lasting
peace.
10 an American observer it would
hook as though the allies may exact
their knockout if they are willing to
pay the frightful price demanded in
money and blood. 1t is hardly under
standable how Germany can go on
forever fighting against the resources
OF all the world besides.
Let us suppose the war 20 on to the
knockout. until the central allies shall
have been literally crushed. Then
what? Belgian reparation may mean
money; but what are those "guaran.
tees OF enduring peace" about which
the allies now make phrases? Trans.
lated into concrete conditions, what
are they to be?
Bearing all the earmarks of an ON.
cially inspired article, one may read in
a recent number Of the London Spec.
tator what may fairly be accepted as
rejecting what England and Russia
and their allies now have in mind on
this score.
In reality they would demand the
destruction of Germany. Austria Hun
gary. Bulgaria and Turkey. Russia is
to have Constantinople and that coun-
try and Great Britain are to govern
Turkey Potentially Russia in Europe
is to advance to the Rhine. Control.
ing the "subkingdom of Poland" to in
clude large part Of Germany and
Austria, the Balkan confederation and
by "democratising" (7l sHerm..ny ara
Austria and by means of crushing Inn
positions. the car would erect a heg-
emory over Europe from the river
Rhine extending back across two con.
tinents to the Pacific ocean.
For all her part in the war, gallant
France is to have only Alsace and Lor-
raine, a tract of trififng Importance,
hardly more than two Iowa counties.
Themselves making no claims to
land on the continent of Europe, it is
fair to assume that captured colonies
shall go to Great Britain and Japan.
Russia having no navy worth mention
ing, England and Japan are to become
the joint mistress Of the seas" Thus
does it begin to dawn as the meaning
of these phrases about guarantees Of
enduring peace that is to say: Great
Britain, Russia and Japan are the tri-
umvirate to determine the destfnies OF
nations and by whom peace (?) shall
henceforth be guaranteed in this mer.l
~ old world of ours. Instead OF disar-
mament. they stipuiate that Germany's
battleships be taken over by these
guardians of world peace.
What may Japan, ask her allies to
do to us? or their entire accord. what
may these hungry empires do to
America? They have large veteran
armies and the habit Of war. The
American continent is unwasted by
war, gross with fairness. a tempting
field for imperial exploitation, Can
ada affords ample shore line and room
for mobilizing armies. Canada herself
will have no mean army of seasoned
fighters. America is interested in this
world war settlement. The United
States should absolutely keep out OF
Europe's war but the United States
should make sure of peace in the
United States by genuine preparation
for the successful defense OF our ma
tive land. An Observer