The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1917-12-08


for the very life and existence OF their
empire. a war of desperate seif-de-
tense against deliberate aggression
Nothing could be more grossly OF
wantonly false, and We must seek ny
the utmost openness and candor as 70
our real aims to convince them OF us
falseness. We are in TACT 1lentihs
for their emancipation from fear'
along with our own-from the fear as
well as from the fact of unjust 'at-
tack by neighbors or rivals or schem-
ers after world empire. No one Is
threatening the existence or the III
dependence or the peaceful enter
prise of the German empire.
The worst that can happen to the
detriment of the German people Is
this, that if they should still, AFTER inc
war is over. continue to be obligated
10 live under ambitious and intriguing
masters, interested to disturb the
peace of the world, men or classes Oh
men whom the other people OF the
world could not trust, it might De I'M
possible to admit them to the part
nership of nations which must hence-
forth guarantee the worlds peace.
That partnership must be partner
ship of peoples, not mere partner
ship of governments. 1t might be im-
possible. also, in such untoward CIR
cumstances, to admit Germany 10 the
free economic intercourse which must
inevitably spring out Of the other part
nerships OF real peace. But lhere
would be no aggression in that; ana
such situation, inevitable because Oh
distrust. would in the very nature OF
things sooner or later cure itself. py
processes which would assuredly
set in.
The wrongs, the very deep wrongs,
committed in this war will have to De
righted. That is a matter OF course.
But they cannot and must not De
righted by the commission OF similar
wrongs against Germany and her al
lies.
Will Net Permit Repetition.
The world will not permit the COM
mission of similar wroaSs as a means
of reparation and settlement States'
men must by this time have learned
that the opinion OF the world is every
where WIDE awake and fully compre
hends the issues involved. No repre-
sentative OF any self-governed natIon
will dare disregard it by attempting
any such covenants of selfishness
and compromise as were entered into
at the congress of Vienna. Inc
thought OF the plain people here anc
everywhere throughout the world, the
people who enjoy no privilege ane
have very simple and uIsophisticatet
standards OF right and wrong, is the
air all governments must .henceiorti
breathe If they would live.
1t is in the full disclosing light o
that though that all policies must d.
conceived and executed in this MID
day hour OF the world life. German
rulers have been able to upset tn
peace of the world only because tn
German people were not suffered un
der their tutelage to share the com
radeship of the other peoples of tn
world either in thought or in purpose
they were allowed 10 have no opinoi
of their own which might be set u
as a rule of conduct for these who es
ercised authority over them. But tn
congress that concludes this war vii
feel the full strength of the tides tina
run now in the hearts and conscience
of free men every where. lis conell
kions will run with those tides.
All these things have been ru
from the very beginning OF the sti
tpendous war; and cannot help thni
aug that if they had been mase plai
at the very outset the sympathy an
enthusiasm of the Russian peopl
might have been once for all enliste
on the side of the allies. suspicion an
dIstrust swept away and a real an
lasting union of purpose effected. ia
they believed these things at the ver
moment of their revolution and ia
they been confirmed in that beli'
since. the. sad reverses which have r
Gently marked the progress Oh the
affairs toward an ordered and stab
government OF free men might nav
been avoided. The Russian poop
have been poisoned BY the very san
falsehocds that have kept the Germs
people in the dark, and the poison d;
been administered by the very san
hands. The only possible antidote
the truth. 1t cannot be uttered u
plainly or too often.
From every point of view. theI
fore, it has seemed to be my duty
speak these declarations of purpose,
add these specific interpretations
what / took tie liberty OF saying
the senate in January. Our entran
into the war has not altered our at
tude toward the settlement that ml
come when it is over. When said
January that the nations OF the VOL
x..o~> a.,fi4laa pot nrlv tn free Da