The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-12


rnese are very serIous anu pIesnant
questions.
upon the answer to them depends
the peace Of the world.
''But whatever the results Of the par
leys at Brest-Litovsk, whatever the
confusions of counsel and Of purpose
In the utterances Of the spokesmen of
the central empires, they have again
attempted to acquaint the world with
their objects in the war and have again
challenged their adversaries to say
what their objects are and what sort
OF settIemenet they would deem Just
and satisfactory.
"There is no good reason why that
challenge should not be responded to,
and responded to with the utmost can
dor. We did not wait for it. Not
once, but again and again we have
laid our whole thought and purpose be-
fore the world, not in general terms
only but each time with sufficient def
n!ion to make it clear what sort OF
| definite terms of settlement must nee
essarily spring out Of them
fLauds Lloyd Georges Speech.
"Within the last week Mr.. Lloyd
George has spoken with admirable can
dor and in admirable spirit for the peo-
/ pie and government of Great Britain.
There is no confusion of counsel amQsSs
II eel
mo uncertainty Of principle, no yag@pIeV
ness of detail.
'"Ehe only secrecy of counsel the
only lack of fearless frankness, the
only failure to make definite state
ment of the objects of the war, lies
with Germany and her allies.
"The issues Of life and death hang
upon these definitions. No statesman
who has the least conception of his
responsibility ought for moment to
permit himself to continue this tragi-
cal and appalling outpouring of blood
and treasure unless he is sure beyond
peradventure that the objects of the
vital sacrifice are part and parcel of
the very life of society and that the
people for whom he speaks think them
right and imperative as he does.
"Thcre is, moreover, voice call
ing for these definitions of princi-
pie and of purpose which is, it seems
to me, more thrilling and more COM
pelling than any of the many moving
voices with which the troubled air of
the world is filled. 1t is the voice Of
the Russian people, They are pros
trate and all but helpless, it would
seem, before the grim power of Ger
many, which has hitherto known no re-
lenting and no pity.
Their power apparently is shat
tered, and yet their soul Is not sub
servient. They will not yield either
in principle or in action. The con-
ception of what is right, of what it is
humane and honorable for them to
accept, has been stated with a frank
ness, a largeness of view, a generos-
ity of spirit and universal human
, sympathy which must challenge the
admiration Of every friend of man
kind; any they have refused to com.
pound their ideals or desert others that
| they themselves may be safe.
'They call to us to say what it Is
that we desire, in what, If anything
our purpose and our spirit differ from
theirs; and believe that the people
of the United States would wish me
to respond with utter simplicity ant
. frankness.
$ whether their present leaders be
r lieve it or not, 1t is our heartfelt de
1 sire and hope that some way may b.
+ opened whereby we may be privileged
|. to assist the people of Russia to at
e tain their utmost hope of liberty ant
ordered peace.
!? No Secret Understandings.
e "It will be our wish and purpos
d that the processes of peace, when the,
It are begun, shall be absolutely open AM
l. that they shall involve and permi
h henceforth no secret understandings o
a, any kind The day of conquest an
d ACKNOWLEDGMENT Is gone by; so is ais
o the day of secret covenants. entere
/? into In the interest of particular go,
L. ernments and likely at some unlocked
r for moment to upset the peace of tn
It, world.
al "It Is this happy fact, now clea
to to the view Of every public man who's
it thoughts do not still linger In an az
st that is dead and gone, which makes
lg possible for every nation whose pu
In poses are consistent with justice an
A the peace Of the world to avow now {