Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-12
LEGIONS OF HE'LL SHALL
NOT PREVAIL

THn President believes in answering
back. He is the foremost living advo.
eate Of open publicity as weapon of war
fnrs and he does not propose to keep silent
while the spokesmen of German militarism
MI the world with their vociferations. A
vital error Of the Allies, previous to our en-.
tsring the war. was lack of generous
statement of war aims, frequently repeated.
Itmay be difficult to meet tho secret propa-
ganda of Germany. but It is not difficult to
meet her in the forum of the world and ex-
pose the treachery underlying her proposals
and purposes. twas an ancient practice to
br1be the defenders OF beleaguered cities
and win the gates by gifts of gold, and that
practice Germany has revived in a form
suitable to modern conditions. She has
won more lands and slaves by propaganda
than by military achievement, but most of
her success in that direction was previous
- American Intervention.
Mr.. Wilson is at his best in statements
ef policy and intent. Yesterday It was his
task to show that an old problem solved
by Lincoln was a new problem to be
solved by the United States. The Great
Emancipator saw that the nation could not
exist half free and half slave. The appll.
cation was to individuals. Mr.. Wilson
shows that civilization cannot exist half
free and half slave. but his application Is
to nations. Individual human beings were
not to be handed about from one ownership
% another. according to Lincoln. and, &c.
sording to Mr.. Wilson, peoples are not to
b handed about from one sovereignty to
another by an international conference or
m understanding between rivals and antag-
onists." 1t is the old issue restated. We
solved It first at home and we are about
TO solve It throughout the world.
By a rigorous process of elimination.
using the proposals Of Count Czernin as a
basis, the President arrives at the conclu.
sion that "the principles that We regard
- fundamental are already everywhere ac.
copied as imperative except among the
spokesmen Of the military and annexation.
1T party in Germany. The tragic
circumstance is that this one party in Ger.
many is apparently willing and able to
sand millions Of men to their death to pre-
vent what all the world now sees to be
just" A little coterie Of Prussians began
the war and that same coterie continues
f. The President intimates to the German
people that It will be worth their while to
sxamins the facts and ask themselves IL
thsy are getting quid pro quo.
The speech parallels in the news columns
the announcement Of the Bolsheviki's
strange method of procuring a nominal
psace Defrauded and Knocked at the
councii board, Trotsky adopts a program Of
nonresistance which gives to the Hun all
that he sought and more. wipes Russia
fsom the map and certifes that the millions
e Russians who died In defense Of their
country made the sacrifice in vain. The
logic Of the Bolsheviki is beyond our COM
prshension. but we match their helpless.
mess with our armies In France. II is in
The West after all. that the new Apo
mattox lies hidden. But the sun would be
rising on different world today had Rus.
sia stood fast in her allegiance to democ-
sacy and held her front.
~Our resources are in part mobilized
now and We SHALL not pause until
they are modified in their entirety.
80 Our whole strength shall be
put into this war OF emancipation"
mare IL no threat in that. but It is
~ statement Of a glorious fact. Nor let
any man mistake criticism for doubt. Men
G1(iuise because they are SO fearfully in
6Tnsst. But those Of US who believe in
tInth and Justice. in honor and virtue and
1nfagrity. must hold the faith that Lincoln
no11 and look forward with sure confidence
- me complete supremacy of those forces
Uk1oh are lined up against the legions Of