Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-12-15

selves done deep and abominable
wrong It Is this thought that has been
expressed In the formula. no annexas
ton, no contributors, 40 punitive IN
Hdemnities.'
Just because this crude formula ex-
presses the instructive judgment as to
right = plain men eyerywhere 1t has
been ade diligent use Of BY the mas
tiers German intrigue 70 lead the
peor Of Russia astray and the PEG
pie very other country their agents
coul Bach, in order that ! premature
peac night be brought about before
auto cy has been taught Its final and
cow ing lesson, and the people of
the Id put in control Of their own
desti s.
A eracy Must BE Dethroned.
But the fact that a wrong use has
been made Of Just idea Is no reason
why right use should not be made Of
it. 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 III power or to leadership in the
modern world It is impossible to APP
ply any standard Of justice so long as
such forces are unchecked and unde.
feated as the present masters Of Ger
many command.
Not until that has been done can
right be set up as arbiter and peace
maker among the nations. But when
that has been dQneas, God. willing,
it assuredly win be-we shall at last
be free to do an unprecedented thing
and this is the time to avow our pur-
pose 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. -.
Our Task Is To Win the War.
Let there be no misunderstanding.
Our present and immediate task is to
win the war, and nothing shall turn
us aside from it until it is accom-
plished. 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 it is achieved.
Those who desire to bring peace
about before that purpose is achieved
counsel to carry their advice else
where. We will not entertain it. 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 set
Element based upon justice and the
reparation Of the wrongs their rulers
have done.
They hale done wrong to Belgium
which mutt be repaired. They have
established power over other lands
and peoples than their own-over the
great Empire Of Austria-Hungary, over
hitherto free Balkan States, over Tur-
key and within: Asia-which must be
| relinquished
Teuton Allies Must Be Liberated.
Germany's success by skill, by in:
dustry, by knowledge, by enterprise
we did not grudge or oppose, but ad-
mired rather She had built up for
| herself real empire of trade and in
f1uence, secured by the peace Of the
world. We were content to abide the
rivalries of manufacture, science and
commerce that were involved for us
in her success and stand or fall as we
had or did not have the brains and
the initiative to surpass her.
| But at the moment when she had
conspicuously won her triumphs of
peace she threw them away, to estab-
lish 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. 1t must deliver the once
fair lands and happy PEG, rs of Bel
GUM and Northern France from the
Prussian conquest and the Prussian
menace, but it must also deliver the
peoples Of Austria-Hungary, the peo-
pies of the Balkans and the peoples Of
Turkey, alike in Europe and in Asia,
from the impudent and alien domino
ton Of the Prussian military and COM
mercial autocracy.
Does Not Wish To NEEDLE In Austria.
We owe it, however, to ourselves to
say that we do not wish in any way to
impair or to rearrange the Austro-
Hungarian Empire 1t is no affair of
ours what they do with their own life
either industrially or politically. We
do not purpose or desire to dictate to
them in any way. We only desire to
see that their affairs are left in their
own hands in all matters, great OF
small. we shall hope to secure fol-
the peoples of the Balkan peninsula
and for the people of the Turkish EN-
pire the right and opportunity to make
their own lives safe, their own fortunes
secure against oppression or injustice
and from the dictation of foreign
courts or parties.
And our attitude and purpose will
regard to Germany herself are Of I
like kind.
oy.1u -