The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-05-23
rInERTY. NOT PEAcE.

The idea seems ~ prevaiiin some quarters that gen
uine offer 81 peace form Germany would cause an imne
date cessation Of the war and prOmp tseteent Of III,
issues that divide the great camps It assumed
that the why the are not settled is that
all Of Germanys peace offers are fraudulent that if ans
Of these offers should prove to be genuine the wal
would cease
But this is not the The war goes ton in spie Of
the desire for peace and it must 60 on in spite of radu
lent genuine peace oyerures until the people Of the
world actually gain and have means Of establishing their
freedom. Germany desires peace The German people
have given unmistakabe evidence Of their longing for
peace Austria wants peace The allies all desire peace
1t is not because the world wants war that the war
on and the universal desire for peace does not bring
peace. Why not?
1t is because humanity aroused and will not return to
peace until something precious than peace has been
gained and fixed. That is liberty.
When Germany coneOcted war she confidently believed
that she could have peace at any moment BY merely
pressing desire for it and by offering sufficient nduce-
ment" Now, the fourth year of the war comes to-
ward its end famished and bleeding Germany knows how
much harder it to have peace than to have war The
wouldbe murderers Of nations started fire the cannot
quench They aroused the passions which win not die
down while the German empire exists armed If Ger
many should revotonize herself throw away her murder
and become Free the remainder of the world would
Immediately begin in peaceful way the task of unying
subject from obsolete thrones and setting up free
governments This task cannot be performed peacefully
while Germany armed and dominated by nation sayers
It is only by blasting Germany to pieces that mankind
free subject nations This blasting process will neces
sary continue and become more violent SO long as Ger
many remains obstacle to liberty.
No ruer words spoken than those uttered by
Mr. Balfour when he declared that the war must go on
until Germany either poweress or free. Every de-
veopment of the war; every step taken by the United
States since April g. 1917 and every plan now unfolding
emphasizes the truth of that statement War perma-
nent institution until liberty is gained for the world and
liberty cannot be gained until Germany dsarmed and
made pro-berty
Peace is not the thing. Peace may be shameful and
more dangerous than Germany's appeal for peace
would mean nothing, if the appeal should be gen.
uine, if it not appeal from beaten nation ask
cuton Of their duty trustees Of humanity They must
dsarm Germany and tear away the bonds that srangle
the freedomlOvng nations overrdden by Germany,
Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey Those nations be set
up free governments Independently exercising their
rule by consent Of their people, and absolutely
relieved of any further danger Of German aggression
When that has been accomplished peace will come and
a will Io a naaco vortb ,ubila
The United States occupies a powerful position and
be the most influential nation in the world in estab-
fishing freedom if it will adhere its ideals and resoute-
ly befriend the weak nations President Wilson has
blocked out in general way the features of the Eu
1t would be the worlds greatest misfortune to have
the United States in purpose as outlined by its
great President That purpose cannot be accomplished
by peace. 1t can only be accomplished by war. Ger
many endeavored by force to enchan mankind Free ma
tons assembling superior force that will strike the
shackes from mankind. Not peace but war, negoti-
alton, but force not cessation Of hostlites but
doubled energy in ghtnghat is the hard road to free
DOM Hereafter humanity will take pains to keep brute
power away from peoples that have no moral sense The
nations will make that no one Of them shall accu-
muate excessive brute force that could be used for war
Washington Post, .t~ ,,aty
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