Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-29
Wilson Condemns Germany
in Reply to Peace Note

| of nations against the German people,
who are it's instruments, and would
result in abandoning the new born
Russia to the intrigue, the manlfold
subtle interference, and the certain
counter revolution which would be at
tempted by all the malign influences to
which the German government has OF
late accustomed the world.
Without Desire For Gain.
Can peace be based upon a resti-
| tuition of it's power Or upon any word
of honor it could pledge in treaty
Of settlement and accommodation?
Irresponsible statesmen must now
everywhere see if they never saw be-
fore, that no peace can rest securely
upon political or economic restriction
meant to benefit some nations and
cripple or embarrass others, upon vim
dictive action of any sort, or any kind
| of revenge or deliberate injury.
THE American people have suffered
intolerable wrongs at the hands Of the
! imperial German government, but
they desire no reprisal upon the Ger
man people, who have themselves suf-
fered all things in this war, which they
ulu HOl CHOOSS. l. HSy DCliSVC lhat PeCSo
should rest upon the rights of peoples,
not the rights of governments-th
rights Of peoples, great or small, weak
or powerfui-iheir equal right 70 free
dom and security and self government
and to a participation upon fair terms
in the economic opportunities OF the
world-the German people of course
included, if they will accept equality
and not seek dom ination.
Royal Intrigue VS.. Right.
| The test therefore, of every plan
Of peace is this: Is it based upon the
faith Of all the people involved. or
merely upon the word Of an ambitious
and intriguing government, on the one
hand, and of group Of free peoples,
on the other? This is a test which
| goes to the root Of the matter; and it
Is the test which must be applied.
THE purposes of he United States
in this war are known to the whole
world-to every people to whom the
truth has been permitted to come.
| They do not need to be stated again.
| We seek no material advantage, OF any
kind. We believe that the intolerable
wrongs done in this war by the furi-
Gus and brutal power of the imperial
German government ought to be re-
paired but not at the expense of the
sovereignty of any people-rather a
vindication Of the sovereignty, both Of
those that are weak and of those that
| are strong.
German Promises Worthless.
Punitive damages, the dismember-
ment Of empires, the establishment OK
| ca1Rch TIL loo eyf1o1
we deem inexpedient and in the end
worse than futile, no proper basis for
a peace of any Kind. last of all for all
enduring peace. That must be. based
upon justice and fairness and the COM
mon rights of mankind.
1--WE can not take the word Of the
present rulers OF Germany as a guar
antee Of anything that Is to endure,
!! unless explicitly supported by such
conclusive evidence OF the will and
purpose OF the German people them
selves as the other peoples Of the
world would be justified in accepting.
/ Germany Must State Exact, Terms.
i without such guarantees treaties Of
settlement, agreements for disarma-
ment, covenants to set up arbitration
in the place Of force, territorial adjust
ments, reconstitutions OF small nations.
4 made with the German government.
no man, no nation could now depend
on.
I'VE must await some new evidence
Of the purposes Of the great peoples
Of the central powers.
God grant It may be given soon anti
in way to restore the confidence OF
all peoples everywhere in the faith OF