Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-07-11

peace for all the world. The ad-
dress Of our president, on May q,
1916, before the League to Enforce
Peace, was a milestone in our his
tory. He outlined the main prin-
ciples on which a stable peace must
rest, principles plainly indicating
that this nation would have to give
up its position of isolation and as
sumo the responsibilities of a world
power. The president said:
$50 sincerely do we believe these
things that / am sure that l speak
the mind and wish OF the people Of
America when l say that the United
States is willing to become a partner
in any feasible association of ma
lions formed in order to realize these
objects and make them secure against
violation"
1t was a new and significant note
in our foreign policy. But the mind
OF America had learned much in the
long bitter months of war. Future
remarkable evolution in our public
opinion; the gradual abandonment
OF the illusion OF isolation; the slow
growth of a realization that we could
not win freedom on sea-for us
vital interest-unless we consented to
do our share in maintaining freedom
on land as well, and that we could
not have peace in the world-the
peace we loved and needed for the
perfection of our democracy-unless
we were willing and prepared to help
to restrain any nation that willfully
endangered the peace of the whole
world family.
Had this address of the president
come before the war, there would
have arisen storm of protest from
all sections of the land. But in May,
1916. the nations response was en-
phatIc approval.
In the meantime. although our
neutral rights were not brought into
question by Germany as early as by
England, the German controversy
was infinitely more serious.
For any dissensions that might
arise, no arbitration treaty existed
between the United States and the
German government. This was from
no fault of ours. We had tried to
establish with Germany the same
treaty relations we had with Great
Britain and 10 other nations. But
these overtures had been rejected.
And this action on the part OF the
Imperial German government YVES
only one of its whole system of dip
lomacy. In both conferences at The
Hague it had been the German dele
gates who were the most active in
blocking all projects for the pacific
| settlement OF disputes between ma
tons. They had preferred to limit
international relations to the old
modes OF diplomacy and war. II
was, therefore, obvious from the first
that any controversy with the Ger.
l
ly serious; for If 1t could not be solved
by direct diplomatic conversations
there was no recourse except to war
From such conversations there I.
small hope of satisfactory result:
unless the good faith OF both side!
is profound. II either side lacks
good faith, or reveals in all its &C
tons an insidious hostility, diplomacy
is OF no avail. And so it has proved
in the present case.
In the first year of the war tn,
government of Germany stirred VI
among its people feeling OF resent
ment against the United States OF
account of our insistence upon ou
right as a neutral nation to trade IL
munitions with the bemRcTenI pow
ers, OUT ieS", - re matter
I was not seriously questioned by Ger
many. She could not have done 81
consistently, for as recently as tn,
Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913 boil
Germany and Austria sold munitions
to the belligerents. Their appeals
to us in the present war were not I,
observe international Law, but to re
! wise II in their interest. And thcs,
appeals they tried to make on mora
and humanitarian grounds. But up
: on the moral issue" provided, tn,
stand taken by the United States wal
consistent with its traditional polio!
and with obvious common sense. Fol
II, with all other neutrals. we refused
to sell munitions to belligerents, W.
could never in time OF war OF oui
own obtain munitions from neutreli
and the nation which had accumu
lated the largest reserve of war sup
plies in time OF peace would be as
sured OF victory. The milltarls
state that invested it's money in ar
senals would be at fatal advantage
over the free people who invested
their wealth in schools To writ,
into international law that neutralt
should not trade in munitions woult
be to hand over the world to IN,
rule Of the nation with the larges