Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-07
The Pillory Eternal
Editorial in the Springfield Re-
publican,)

The Holy Father. reports the Britt
ish minister to the Vatican, "felt
grieved at the Implying condemna-
ton Of Germany's perf1dy." It was to
be expected that the presidents pitt
less indictment of the horror and good
faith of the Berlin government, in his
note to the Pope, would strike the
Potsdam autocrat like a blow in the.
face and fill with rage the big and lit
tie bureaucrats who surround the
present rulers" of Germany. But 1t
was high time that German perhdy,
as disclosed by this war. should he
pilloried in history forever. II the pill
lorying was to be done adequately, it
had to be done pitilessly. Mr.. Wilson's
performance was, perhaps, an applica-
ton to the domain Of history Of the
German doctrine of "frightfulness'' IN,
war, which is to say that he has not
permitted himself to be swerved by
even politeness from he task Of es-
tablishing the truth for all the ages
to ONE
I'VE cannot take the word Of the
present rulers Of Germany as q guar
antee of anything that is to endure
wrote this merciless presidentSof ours:
and in writing that he delivered a
message pertaining to historical fact
that will have to- be taken account
- A1aoSObS ol1 VIC SlcdIEWdTt
until the end of time. Even the Ger
man historians, the, Mommsens and
the Won Sybels and the T-reitschkes
In the centuries to come, nus place
in their pages the presidents note to
the Pope, and they must give 1t to
their readers to the last word. One
can imagine them furiously contro-
verting the president or even abusing
him in chapters massed like the regf-
ments Of the Prussian guard; but al
ways they meet his terrific ac-
cusation and forever must the pro-
~fessors and the doctors of philosophy
break their polished spearheads on his
incontrovertibie conclusion.
The presidents lofty and Unique po-
sition as the head of this free nation
ENSURES absolutely the immortality of
the charge of dishonor and perfidy
against the rulers OF Germany: also
the immense historical Importance OF
his reply to the supreme pontiff In this
fourth year of the war, places the
charge upon an eminence from which
It viii blaze into the consciousness of
all. succeeding generations. No one In
q position Of lesser Importance Than
the president could have made such an
Indictment and such a fact live forev-f
er. Two Thousand years hence the
presidents words will affect posterify
like hi most vivid and terse sayings
IL OF IacltuS. AudIth65
evidence will go with the Indictment
-evidence indestructible and indis-
tputable, which is accommodating on all
sides and which almost daily comes
sifted out of reischstag debates and
the ~unguarded confessions of German
soldiers, diplomats and statesmen.
If the president had written the
commonplace distractions about the
|wiekedness Of exaIting might ovef
right and british crueltysover human
Eity. he would have LEFT posterlty as
well as Prussia cold. but by his yery
simple. explicit and concrete tesfi-
mony, as q qualified witness sc mo-
bar Of history. that no nation ear
take the word of the present ru7ers
OF Germany as a guarantee az anvS
home indeed reienfiessfy. an ever
lasting truth that ne German triufaph
in war could q erase from tie recz
ords of these aMfulxeax