The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-12-13

Hungary. over hitherto free Balkan
states. over Turkey and within Asia
which must be relinquished
Gcrmany's Exploits Reviewed.
Germany's success by skill, by in-
dustry. by knowledge by enterprise, we
did not grudge or oppose, but admired
rather. She had built up for herself q
real empire Of trade and influence Sc
cured by the peace Of the world. We
were content to abide the riyalries OF
manufacture, science, and commerce
that We're involved for US in her sue
cess 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 conspicuous1y 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 dom
nation by arms by which to Gust
where should could not excel the rivals
she most feared and hated. The peace
we make must remedy that wrong. IT
must deliver the once fair lands and
happy peoples of Belgium and northern
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 peo-
pie Of Turkey, alike in Europe and in
Asia, from the impudent and alien DOM
nation Of the Prussian military and
commercial autocracy-
"We owe it, however, to our
selves to say thai we do not wish
in any way to impair or to rear
range the Austro- Hungarian en-
pire. It is no affair Of ours what
they do with their own life, either
industriaiIy or politically. We do
not purpose or desire to dictate to
to see that their affairs are left in
great or small. We shall hope to
secure for the peoples of the Bal
kan peninsula and for the people of
Turkish empire the right and OPP
portunity to make their own lives
safe, their own fortunes secure
from the dictation Of foreign courts
or parties. And our attitude and
purpose with regard to Germany
herself are of a like kind. We in
tend no wrong against the German
empire, no interference with her
either the one CIR the other abso-
lutely unjustifiakie. absolutely con-
trary to the principles we have
professed to live ny and to hold
most sacred throughout our life
as nation.
No Threat Against Germany.
'The people of Germany are being
told by the men whom they now per-
nit to deceive them and to act as
their masters. that they are fighting
for the very life and existence of their
empire: a war of desperate self de-
Tense against deliberate aggression.
Nothing could be more grossly or war
tonly false and we must seek by the
utmost openness and candor as to our
real aims to convince them of its
falseness. We are. in fact, fighting for
their emancipation from fear, along
with our own. from the fear as well
as from the fact of unjust attack by
neighbors or rivals or schemers after
world empire. No one is threatening
the existence or the independence of
the peaceful enterprise of tn German
empire.
The worst that can happen to the
detriment Of the German people is this
that if they should still, after the war
is over continue to be obliged to live
under ambitious and intriguing mas
tiers interested to disturb the peace OF
the world, men or classes Of men
whom the other peoples Of the world
could not trust. it might be impossible
to admit them to the partnership OF
nations which must henceforth guaran-
tee the worlds peace. That partnership
must be partnership of peoples, not
mere partnership of governments. II
might be impossible also in such IN
toward circumstances to admit Ger
many to the free economic intercourse
which must inevitably spring out Of the
other partnerships Of a real peace But
there would be no aggression in that;
and such a situation, inevitable because
of distrust, would in the very nature
of things sooner or later cure itself by
processes which would assuredly set in
Germany Is Protected.
The wrongs, the very deep wrongs
committed in this war will have to be
righted. That, of course. But they
cannot and must not be righted by the
commission of similar wrongs against
Germany and her allies The world
will not permit the commission Of sim
liar wrongs as means Of PREPARATION
and settlement. Statesmen must b,
this time have learned that the opinion
of the world is everywhere wide awake
and fully comprehends the issues in
volved. No representative of any self
governed nation will dare disregard ii
by attempting any such covenants OF
selfishness and compromise as were
entered into at the congress of Vienna
The thought of the plain people here
and everywhere throughout the world
the people who enjoy no privilege anc
have very simple and very unsophisti-
Gated standards Of right and wrong
henceforth breathe if they would live
! 1t is in the full disclosing light Of thai
| thought that all policies must be con
ceived and executed and executed ii
this midday hour of the worlds life
| German rulers have been able to upse
| the peace Of the world only because the
German people were not suffered, un
der their tutelage, to share the com
radeship' of the other peoples Of the
world, either in thought or in purpose
They were allowed TO have no opinion
of their own which might be set up a.
| a rule of conduct for those who ex
|sercised authority over them. But tn,
| congress that concludes this war will
feel the full strength of the tides tina
run now in the hearts and conscience.
OF free men everywhere. It's conclu
sions will run with those tides
| All these things have been true fror,
! the very beginning of this stupendou:
war; and ! cannot help thinking tina
D