The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-09-28
UNCLE SAM AT PEACE TABLE
This Government VIII Be in Position
to Dictate Terms When Time for
Negotiation Comes.

Negotiation Comes.
Observation-Disclosures Wilson's re-
ply to Pope B%enedict's peace proposal
has temporarily halted the widespread
demand for a definite statement of the
war aims of the United States.
"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"
the president said IN his reply to the
pope. ''They do not need to be stated
again."
In his Flag day address the presi-
dent said the reasons for Americas
entrance into the war must be nppar-
ent to every thinking man. Still, there
is confusion in the minds Of many
Americans. The attempt of the com
mlttee on public information to clear
How the War Came to America" was
only partly successful.
II shall not discuss here how Amer
lea came into this war;" Secretary Of
War Baker told the Fort Myer reserve
officers on the day of their graduation.
THAT issue is settled for the Ameri-
can people. Our task now is to plan
for victory"
In these words Secretary Baker
summed up the attitude Of all Wash
ington officials. There are others, how
ever, who believe the reasons for Amer
teas entrance into the war have 4 very
important bearing on peace and IN the
future history Of the world.
just as there were underlying causes
of the European conflict that never
have been mentioned In the official doe
uments, so there were causes for Amer
ica's entrance into the war that were
sighted in the presidents address.
One Of these causes is generally be-
lieved to have been that France was
"blcd white" and that the allies We're
in danger of defe.t. Many Americans
find the best Justification for Ameri-
cas- entering into the conflict III the
statement that Eve Went in to save
France
This notion WAS given a severe jolt
When Andre Tardieu. the French pllr-
chasing commissioner in the United
States. made public his letter to Sec
rotary Baker giving statistics on the
present military strength of the
French republic. With facts and fig
ures supplied By the French war Of
flee, Tardieu disproved the theory that
France was oiled whitc.'
One OF the highest officials of the
United States government said it was
not true that the allies were in danger
Of defeat just before America entered
the war. France and England both
could have held out for years and it
was very doubtful, he said, that the
German war machine could yer have
achieved a military decision over the
allies.
The United States, the president be
lieved, would be in no position to as
sert its views at the peace conference
If It remained a neutral. 1t was the
avowed intention of leaving matters
such rs disarmament and an interna.
tional organization to prevent future
WHES " q COukIcSS lHuI WOOiu AOtLON
the peace conference.
The president believed that guar.
antees for the future would be the
only results that would make the three
years Of fighting worth while, and
that they should be made an integral
part of the peace treaties. BY the en-
trance of the United States. President
Wilson became the world leader. II
was made certain that by the aid rem.
dered the allies the United States
would be In a position to dominate the
peace conference and to force that con.
vention to accept Its views.
Thus it would seem to be estab.
lished that the real underlying cause
for Americas entrance into the wal
was not to succor IN alliance in dan.
ger Of defeat, but to insure and to
dictate IL necessary a just and lasting
peace. There is reason to believe that
the allies will be forced to accept
terms OF peace that they never would
have considered but for the influence
of the United States. And by the
same token there Is ground for hoping
that through the United States the
world will. in fact, be 'made safe for
democracy"