Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-12-12

| pressed in the formula No annexa-
| lions, no contributions, no punitive in
| IDENTITIES Just because this crude
| formula expresses the instructive judg-
ment as to right of plain men every
where, it has been made diligent use
| of by the masters of German intrigue
| to lead the people of Russia astray-
and the people of every country their
agents could reach, in order that a
premature peace might be brought
about before autocracy has been taught
its final and convincing lesson, and
the people of the world put in control
of their own deStinies."
Right as the Arbiter.
But the fact that a wrong use has
been made of a just idea is no reason
why right use should not be made of
it. 1t ought to be brought under the
patronage of it's real friends. Let it be
said again that autocracy must first be
shown the utter futility of its claims to
power or leadership in the modern
world. 1t is impossible to apply any
standard of justice so long as such
forces are unchecked and undefeated
as the present masters Of Germany
command. Not until this has been
done can Right be set up as arbiter
and peacemaker among the nations.
But when that has been done-as, God
willing, it assuredly will be-we shall
at last be free to do an unprecedented
thing, and this the time to avow our
purpose to do It, We shall be free to
base peace on generosity and justice,
to the exclusion of all selfish claims to
advantage even on the part of the vic
tors.
To Win War Our Present Task.
LET there be no misunderstanding.
Our present and immediate task is to
win the war, and nothing shall turn us
aside from it until it is accomplished.
Every power and resource we possess,
whether of men, of money, or Of ma
teriaIs, is being devoted and will con-
tinue to be devoted to that purpose
until it is achieved Those who de-
sire to bring peace about before that
purpose is achieved / counsel to carry
their advice elsewhere. We will not
entertain it. We shall regard the war
as won only when the German people
say to us, through properly accredited
representatives. that they are ready to
agree to a settlement based upon JUS
tice and the reparatiOn of the wrongs
their rulers have done. They have
done a wrong to Belgium which must
be repaired. They have established a
power over other lands and people than
their own-over the great empire of
AHstria-H Hungary, other hitherto free
Balkan states, over Turkey, and within
Asia-which must be relinquished.
Must End German Autocracy.
"Germany's success by skill, by in
dustry, by knowledge, by enterprise,
we did not grudge or oppose, but ad
mired, rather. She had built up for
herself a real empire of trade and in
fluence, secured by the peace of the
world We were content to abide the
rivalries of manufacture, science and
commerce that were involved for us in
her success and stand or fall as we
had or did not have the brains and the
initiative TO surpass her. But at the
moment when she had conspicuously
won her triumphs of peace she threw
them away, to establish in their stead
what the world will no longer permit
to be established military and political
domination by arms by which to GUST
where she could not excel the rivals
she most feared and hated. The peace
we make must remedy that wrong. 1t
must deliver the once fair lands and
happy peoples of Belgium and north
ern France from the Prussian conquest
and the Prussian menace, but it must
also deliver the peoples of Austria
Hungary, the peoples of the Balkans,
and the peoples of Turkey, alike in
Europe and in Asia, from the impudent
and alien dominion of the Prussian
military and commercial autocracy.
To Manage Their Own Affairs.
''We owe it, however, to ourselves to
say that we do not wish in any way to
impair or to re-arrange the Austro-
Hungarian empire. 1t is no affair of
ours what they do with their own life.
either industrially or politically. We
do not purpose or desire to dictate to
them in any way. We only desire to
see that their affairs are left in their
own hands, in all matters, great or
small. We shall hope to secure for the
peoples of the Balkan peninsula and
for the people of the Turkish empire
the right and opportunity to make
their own lives safe; their own for
tunes secure against oppression or in
justice and free from the dictation of
foreign courts or parties.
And our attitude and purpose with
regard TO Germany herself are of
like kind. We intend no wrong against