Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-22
LEAGUE FOR NATIONAL UNITY
ISSUES DECLARATION RE.
GARDiNG WORLD WAR.
IN WAR TO
CONQUER ARMY, NOT PEOPLE
Germany Charged With Seeking Thru
Peace Advantages What It Can Not
Gain by Arms-WorId Not Safe For
Democracy so Long as Organized
Autocracy Is Entrenched in Europe.

New York. Dec. 22.-The League for
! National Unity today issued declar-
alton, signed by its officers and eX-
eutive committee, in which all efforts
toward a premature peace are con-
demued and the determination of con-
tinuing the war until military VIC
tory is achieved and. the autocratic
power of the imperial German govern
| ment is broken, is pledged.
1--WE are in this war to conquer the
enemys armies declares the state
ment, tho not his territory or popula-
ton. We intend to nullify the power
of the imperial German government.
We do not intend that it shall gain, at
| the expense Of other nations, either
| AN enlargement OF territory or AN ex-
pansion of industrial and commercial
opportunities or an increase OF prest-
| ige.'"
| when German military reverses op-
| literate past victories and the war map
becomes unfavorable, no doubt some Oh
| the German parties will begin to con-
slider the peace principles OF world
democracy" the statement concludes.
But no influential German party yet
sees coming defeat. There is, there
| fore, as yet no common ground for dis
cussion between the partisans of might
and the partisans of right.
1.-THE imperial German government,
| foiled and defeated in it's plan to Grip
pie the great self-governing nations of
| NO q m
! last the United States. is seeking to
achieve thru it's proposals for peace
| what it has been unable to obtain by
! arms.
Germany Seeks Compromise.
"The imperial German government
seeks a compromise in the irrepressi-
BILE conflict between autocracy and de-
mocracy before it shall be too late.
All who are willing to compromise on
this issue are willing to aid despot-
| ism, as all who urged compromise on
Abraham Lincoln in the civil war
aided slavery. The American people
to-day are fighting for their own lib
erty as we'll as for the freedom Of the
world. The world cannot be safe FOR
democracy so long as an organized
autocracy-its people still believing 1t
victorious--is intrenched in the center
of Europe leading 100000 armed
men and possessing the resources OF
ITO 100000 people in the worlds CEN
trail position for all seas and all con-
tinents."
Asserting that the underlying cause
i for Americas entrance into the wal
was that the German government
"endangers our safety and challenges
our freedom" the statement declares
that president Wilson was the true
spokesman of the American people
when he said in his message to con-
gress that the American people are
impatient with those who desire peace
by any sort Of COMPROMISED
mo compromise is conceivable,
continues the declaration, "if the Ger
man government is not utterly brought
to an end by military defeat or politi-
cal revolution from within. Since a
lasting world peace is our chief war
aim, which of Germany's crimes can
we afford to accept as innocent acts
and permit to be repeated and con-
tinued? Which oppressed nationali-
ty can we safely abandon TO her SOW
ereignty? What slaughter of inno-
cents and destruction of their proper
ty shall we leave without such repara
ton as can be afforded by financial
indemnity?"
Quoting from President Wilson's as
| sertions that the war will not be won
until the rulers of the German people
make reparation for the wrongs they
have done, the league asserts that in
IDENTITIES should be paid in the cases
Of Belgium, Serbia, Poland, Roumania
and France.
The League for National Unity was
organized in Washington last Septem-
Der. Its purposes are to create a
medium thru which loyal Americans
Of all CLASSES can give expression to
the fundamental purpose Of the United
States to carry on the war to a sue
cessful conclusion. Cardinal James
Gibbons is honorary chairman of TIE
league and Theodore y. Vail, president
of the American Telephone and Tclt-
graph company is chairman. Among
the vire chairman are Samuel; Com
pers, president OF the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor and George Pope
president Of tce National Association
| OF MANUFACTURE.