The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-04

the calm, indomitable power Of thu
nation. hear men debate peace WHIT
understand neither its nature nor tht
way in which we may attain ii witt
| uplifted eyes and unbroken spirits
| But / know that none of these speaks
for the nation. They do not toucf
the heart of anything. They may
safely be left to strut their uneasy
hour and be forgotten.
But from another point OF view
believe that il is necessary to say
plainly what we here at the seat oi
action consider the war to be for and
what part we mean to play in the
settlement of its searching issues
We are the spokesmen OF the Ameri-
can people and they have a right tc
know whether their purpose Is ours
They desire peace by the overcoming
Of evil, by the defeat once for all oi
the sinister forces that interrupt
peace and render it impossible, and
they wish to know how closely our
thought runs with theirs and what
action we propose. They are Inn
patient with those who desire peace
by any sort of compromise-deeply
and Indignantly impatient, but they
will be equally impatient with us II
we do not make IL plain to them whai
our detectives are and what we are
planning for in seeking to make con-
quest OF peace by arms.
Must BE Crushed.
Il believe that / speak for them
when / say two things: First, that
this intolerabIe thing of which the
masters Of Germany have shown Us
the ugly face. this menace OF COM
binea and foTcs which we
now see SO cfeariy as the German
power, a thing without conscience or
honour or capacity for covenanted
peace. must be crushed, and IL it be
not utterly brought to an end, at
least shut out from the friendly inter
course OF the nations; and, second,
that when this thing and its power
are indeed defeated and the time
comes that we can discuss peace
when the German people have
spokesmen whose word we can be-
lieve and when those spokesmen
are ready in the name Of
their people to accept the common
judgment of the nations as to what
shall henceforth be the basis Of law
and OF covenant for the life Of the
world-We shall be willing and glad
to pay the fun price for peace and
pay It ungrudgingly. We know what
that price will be. 1t will be full, inn
partial tustice-justice done at every
point and to every nation the final
settlement must affect, our enemies
as well as our friends.
Voices of Humanity.
you catch, with me, the voices
of humanity that are in the air. They
grow daily more audible, more ar
ticulate, more persuasive and they
come from the hearts of men every
where. They insist that the war shall
not end In vindictive action of any
kind; that no nation or people shall
be robbed or punished because the
irresponsible rulers OF q single coun-
try have themselves done deep and
abominable wrong. It As this thought
that has been expressed in the for
mula. no annexations, no contribu-
tions, no punitive indemnities,b lust
because this crude formula expresses
the instructive Judgment as to right
OF plain men. everywhere Ii has been
made diligent use Of by the masters
Of German intrigue to lead the peo-
pie Of Russia astray-and the people
OF every other country their agents
could reach in order that a prema-
ture peace might be brought about
before autocracy has been taught it's
final and convincing lesson and the
people OF the world put in control OF
their own destinies.
TBut the fact that a wrong use has
been made OF just idea is no rea-
son why a right use should not be
made OF 1t. 1t ought TO be brought
under the patronage OF its real
friends. Let II be said again that
autocTacy must first be shown the
utter futility Of its claims to power
or leadership in the modern world.
It is impossible to apply any stand
ard Of justice so long as such forces
are unchecked and indicated as the
present masters Of Germany COM
mand. Not until that has been done
can Right be set up as arbiteF and
peacemaker among the nations. But
when that has been dOne-as God
willing II assuredly viii be-we shall
at last be free to do an unprecedent-
ed thing and this is the time 10 avoW
our purpose to do il. We shall be free
20 base peace on generosity and
Justice, TO the exclusion or all self
ish claims TO advantage even on the
part Of victors.
Task To Win War.
Let there be no misunderstand-
ing. Our present and immediate task
IS to win the war and nothing shall
turn as aside from IL until it Is acc
complished. Every power and re-
source we possess. whether Of men,
OF money. or Of materials. Is being
devoted and will continue 70 be de-
voted 70 that purpose until IL is
achieved. Those who desire to bring
peace about before that purpose Is
achieved, I counsel 70 carry their
advice elsewhere. We win not enter
tain IL. We shall regard the war as
won only when the German people
say to us. through properly accredit-