The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-01-04

mastery or Europe. And all alike are
) convinced by an experience that goes
deeper than reason that anything
short of open and acknowledged de-
feat will mean for Germany merely
the postponement of her ambitions
and not at all the abandonment of
her fundamental faith.
Each of the allies, too, has his own
special reasons, from his own national
standpoint, for insisting that the task
of reducing Germany to a saner frame
of mind, having once been undertaken,
shall not be dropped until its aims are
achieved. In Great Britains case,
those reasons are o-fold-Belgium
and the navy.
| was present a few days ago at a
meeting of protest in New York
against the Belgian deportations. 1t
was fervent meeting, fired by a
noble and passionate Indignation. But
could not. as an Englishman, help
noticing that from first to last not
reference of any kind was made to
Great Britain. Yet it was the appeal
of the king of the Belgians to its
pledged word that overwhelmingly
rallied the British nation and drove it
into the war. To that call, which was
and is the call of honor, our people re-
sponded with an idealism that no sell
fish interest, no stroke of calculating
politics. could ever have called forth;
and in obeying it, we have spent not
words but hundreds of thousands of
ives and millions of pounds.
But for British Intervention the war
would have been over long ago and
Belgium would be no more. But for
us it would end even now in very
few weeks, and not all the indignation
meetings in the world would help one
iota the cause of Belgium's resurrec-
ton. Belgium is still the inspiration
of all that Britain has done and will
do in this war
Her one hope of salvation lies in our
hands; her only chance of becoming
again free and Independent state
depends on our power; and the most
elementary sense of our responsible
ties as her trustee demands that we
shall listen to no proposals for peace
while single German soldier remains
on Belgian soil.
And what holds good for Belgium
holds equally good for Serbia, for nor
them France, and for the occupied re-
gions of Russian Poland. A complete
evacuation of all conquered territories
is the essential preliminary even to a
discussion. of peace,
But coupled with the question of
restitution is the question of repara-
ton There is hardly a man in Great
Britain who is not determined that
Germany shall be punished for her
crime in provoking the war and for the
Infamous atrocities that have marked
her conduct of it, To allow Germany
simply to retire from Belgium and
otherwise to escape scot-free, without
exacting from her any penalty for her
misdeeds, this, in effect, is to reward
her for having attacked Belgium.
British opinion is adamantine on
this point, that the Germans must not
only get out of Belgium bag and bag
gage, but must make good in money
and kind all the exactions and depre-
dations they have practiced upon the
Belgian people. A swinging indemnity
must accompany the act of restora-
ton; and both must precede any de-
bate whatever on the terms of the ma
jor settlement.
1t is to Englishmen quite incompre-
, hensible that the cool people who are
working for an international league OF
peace should not at once and enthusi-
) astically indorse this position. For il
he suggested league is ever to come
into existence and to possess any real
4 validity 1t can only be on the basis
p that the transgressors against hui
manity and against the common con-
science of mankind are to be punished
r for their crimes.
s But there never was and there never
s can be a clearer case for punishment
e than that presented by Germany's con
duct during the last two and hal
wears; and should she by any diplo
e matte articles succeed in evading JUS
d tice. then the doctrine that the stront
NAV outrage the weak with impunlt!
t is enshrined among the precepts of in
s ternational law and all leagues o
- peace are doomed to futility befor
= they are born.
n Apart, however, from this Grea
d Britain has grounds of definite self
IS interest for preferring to fight OF
It rather than compromise. For the Ell
O feet of an inconclusive peace, peac
= which leaves it an open question as t
v which is the defeated party, will b
o first to strengthen the attachment Q
the German people to the Hohenzoll
= erns and to Prussianism; secondly, t
a persuade them that but for the Brit
Is ish navy they would have won out
10 right; thirdly, to concentrate all thel
= energies on building fleet that WI
= he able to challenge British suprem
ID acy at sea; and, fourthly, to enabl
at them to play upon the dissenslon
-z,,Id ;pauita hlV arise among Tn