Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-04

The people OF Germany are being told
by the men whom they now permit TO
deceive them and to act IA their mas
tcrs that they are iighting for the very
life and existence of their empire. Il
war Of desperate self-defense against
deliberate aggression. Nothing could
be more grossly or wantonly false. ana
we must seek by the utmost openness
and candor 20 our rea, aims TO con-
vince them of its falseness. We are. In
fact, fighting for their emancipation
from fear, along with our own-from
the fear as well rs from the fsct
unjust attack by neighbors or rivals or
( schemer- after world empire. NO one Is
threatening the existence or the inde-
pendence OF the peaceful enterprise OF
/ The German Empire.
PARTNERSHIP OF NATIONS
The worst that can happen to the
detriment OF the German people Is this'
that IL they should still. after the war
il over continue to be obliged to live
under ambitious and intriguing masters
Interested to disturb the peace OF the
world, men or classes Of men whom the
other peoples of the world could not
trust, IL might bo impossible to admit
them to the partnership Of nations which
must henceforth guarantee the worlds
peace. That partnership must be
| partnership of peoples, not n mere part
nership of Governments. II might bt
imposs.ble, also, in such untoward cir
cumstances, to admit Germany TO th'
free economic intercourse which mus
inevitably spring out of the other part
nershp OF q real peace. But there
would be no aggression in that' ant
such situation, inevitable because Of
l l.. nn
things sooner or later cure Itself b,
processes which would assuredly set In
The wrongs, the very deep wrongs
committed In this war will have to b'
righted. That OF course. But they can
not and must not he righted by thu
| commi sion of similar wrongs agains'
Germany and her allies.
The world will not permit the com
mission Of similar wrongs as mean'
of reparation and settlement. states
men must by this time have learned tina
the opinion of the world is everywher'
wide awake and fully comprehend thu
issues involved. No representative o.
any self-governed nation will dare dis
regard it by attempting any such cove
nants OF selfishness and compromise al
were entered into at the Congress o
Vienna.
The thought of the plain people her
and everywhere throughout the world
the people VINO enjoy no privilege ant
nave very s'mpie ana uhsoPn'stcata'
s,anoafos OF risht anu wrong, ~ the a.
an governments ihust nehceio.th o,sa.n
u tney Wouiu iiSe. ~ "a III ,,e IuIi oIS
c'0Slhs hsht ot tnat "oushs tnet
o'1s .,1,s is. niss. uV ovu s,,. "u a,IS,a ,,s.
:" ,a.s I..'uuns "vui VI ..o ~, ~, ',,
J III 49,, 80 ,h r,S 81. hsoons
~ m.ra, n.n,S 49, ~, snsysrs
rraar ,ha,r ,,,ta,a~a 20 shars the con,
r.Sa,htn ns ,hs othsr naonIos op Oh
n.orIa ai,rn- ~ ,hnmsh, nr in n,,r,os.
they yvsra a,iow.d to hava M onin,o
of their own which might be set up a
rule of conduct for those who exer
cised authority over them. But the Con
gress that concludes this war will fe,
the uII strength of the tides that ru
now In the hearts and conscieness Q
free men everywhere. It's eoncIusio u
viii run with those tides.
All these things have been true fror
the very beginning of this stupendou
: war. and 7 cannot help thinking that
. hey had been made plain at the yer
E outset the sy,nnathy and enthusiasm a
Q the Russian people might have bee
!, | onca for ali anlisted on tha side NJ IN
Allies susnicIon and dis,ruat swer
Q a,roy ond rao, ana Ios,r- ,n,on
nwrnosa .r,sc,sd Had ,ha1 ha,,ays
,,asa ,h,rs,s a. ,na ,,ar,, ,,ono.r, ., ths,
o,,,.ian ~" ~, 49,, co.
Trroad r IN that hsi's, since the sad IS
} mansss ,vh,oh hsva rsoan,,,, rna-,,sd ~,
.s 80 .h.Ir .ra,rs ,o,.ard "eu an -, -,
p 90 s.ah a',a, o..
ueFeu anu stdDlo government Oh ire