Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-09-05

the intrigue, the manifold subtle inter-
ference, and the certain counter-revo-
luton which would be attempted by
all the malign influence to which ME
German government has of late accus-
toned the world
Can peace be based upon a restitu
/ ton of its power or upon any word of
honor it could pledge in a 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 restrictions
meant to benefit some nations and Grip
pie or embarrass others, upon vindic-
tive action of any sort, or any kind of
revenge or deliberate injury.
THE American people have suffered
iptOlerable wrongs at the hands of the
imperial German government, but they
desire no reprisal upon the German
people, who have themselves suffered
all things In this war, which they did
not choose They believe that peace
should rest upon the rights of peoples,
not the rights of governments-th
rights of peoples great or small. weak
or powerful-their equal right to 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 domination.
Purposes of v. S. Known to World.
"The test, therefore, of every plan
of peace is this: Is it based upon the
faith of all the peoples involved or
merely upon the word of an ambitious
and intriguing government, on the one
hand, and of a group of free peoples
on the other? This is test which
goes to the root of the matter, and 1t
is the test which must be applied.
1.-THE purposes of the 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 poople-rather
vindication of the sovereignty both of
those that are weak and those that
are strong.
"Punitive damages, the dismember-
berment Of empires, the establishment
of selfish and exclusive economic
leagues, we deem inexpedient and in
the end worse than futile, no proper
basis for a peace of any kind, least
of all for an enduring peace. That
must be based upon justice and fair
ness and the common rights of man
kind.
I'VE cannot 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
Without such guarantees. treaties of
settlement, agreements for disarma-
ment, covenants to set up arbitration
in the place of force. territorial adj
iustments, reconstitutiOns of small ma
tons. If made with the German gov
eminent. no man, no nation could now
depend on. We must await some new
evidence of the purposes of the great
peoples of the central powers. God
grant 1t may be given soon and in
way to restore the confidence of all
peoples everywhere in the faith of ma
tions and the possibility of cove
nanted peace.
"ROBERT LANSING.
Secretary of State of the United
Ststes of America"