The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-12-06

lions. no contributions, no punitive in.
IDENTITIES" Just because this sscFu.
sAde formula expresses this distinctive
Judgment % to right Of phin men
everywhere. It has been made diligent
use Of BY the masters OF German in.
trigue to lead the people Of Russia as.
tray-and the people Of every other
country their agents could reach in
order that . premature peace might
be brought about before aut0cracy has
been taught its final and convincing
lesson and the people Of the world
put in control Of their own destinies
But the fact that wrong. use has
been made of just idea is no reason
why right use should not be made
Of 1t. 1t ought to be brought under
the patronage of its real friends. Let
1t be said again that autocracy must
first be shown the utter futility of its
claims to power or leadership in the
modern world. It Is impossible to ap-
ply any standard of Justice SO long as
such forces are unchecked and un-
defeated as the present masters of
Germany command. Not until that
has been done can Right be set up as
arbiter and peacemaker among the
nations. But when that has been
done-as, God willing, 1t assuredly
will be-we shall at last be free to do
an unprecedented thing and this is
We shall be free to base peace on
generosity and Justice, to the conclus-
ion of all selfish claims to advantage
even on the part Of the victors.
Win the War, the One Object.
Let there be no misundersta nding.
Our present and immediate part is to
win the war and nothing shall turn
us aside from it until 1t Is accomplish.
ed. Every power and resource we
possess. whether of men, of money or
of materials. is being devoted and will
continue to be devoted to that purpose
until 1t is achieved. Those who de-
sire to bring peace about before that
purpose is achieved counsel to carry
their 2dYice e!seN here. We will not
entertain it.
We shall regard the war as won
only when the German people say to
us. through properly accredited repre-
sentatives, that they are ready to
tice and the reparation of the wrongs
their rulers have done. They have
done wrong to Belgium, which must
be repaired. They have esta blished
a power over other lands and peoples
than their own. over the great empire
Of Austria-Hungary. over hitherto free
Balkan states, over Turkey. and With
in Asia-which must be relinquished.
Want Will Not Permit It.
Germany's success by skill, by In
lustry. by knowledge, by enterprise
we do not judge or oppose. but ad-
nlire rather. She had built up for
herself real empire of trade and
influence. secured by the peace of
The world. We were content to abide
he rivairies Of manufacture. science ]
md commerce that were involved for
is In her success and stand or fall as
we had or did not have the brains and
he Initiative to surpass her But at |
The moment when she had conspic.
lously won her triumph of peace she |
,hrew 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
,ated.
The peace we make must remedy |
hat wrong. It must deliver the once |
sir lands and happy peoples Of Bel
'iun ald Northern France from the |
y ussia, conquest and TIE russian |
menace. but it must also deliver the |
peoples Of Austria Hungary. the peo-
,les Of the Balkans and the peoples
Vt Turkey, alike III Europe and in
Asia. from the imru'en, and alien
of the Prussian military
md commercial autocracy.
We eve it, however. to ourselves
o say hat we, do no. wish in any way
O imra;r or to rearraDrn The Austria
hungarian empire. It is no affair Of
'urs what they do with their own life,
ither industrially or politically:
In Their Own HANDS.
We do not purpose to or desire to
ictate to them in any way. We only
Iesire to see that their affairs are
eft In their own hands. in all mat
ers. great or small. We shall hope
o secure for the peories o. the Bal
an peninsula and for the people of
he Turkish Empire THO right and Op-
to make their own lives
afe. their own fortunes secure
,gainst oppression or injustice. and
rom the dictation of foreign courts
r parties. And our attitude and pur-
ose with regard to Germany herself
re of a like kind. We intend no
1rong against the German Empire,
10 interference with her internal az
airs. We should deem either thu
ne or the other absolutely unjustifi.
BILE, absolutely contrary to the prin-
iples we have professed to live by
nd to hold most sacred throughout
ur life as q nation.
Fighting to Free Germany. Too.
The people Of Germany are being
old by the men whom they now per-
lit to deceive them and TO act as
heir masters that they are fighting
Or the very life and existence of
heir empire. a war OF desperate self
efense against deliberate aggression. I
Iothing could be more grossly or