The Robesonian., 1918-01-14

ZaC1On mas Slowly ana pdln1ully eSCaD-
lished for the restraint Of belligerents
and the protection Of neutrals and
non-combatants in time of war. No
nation is more interested in the pres
ervation of international law and in
the defense of the rights of neutrals
than the United States of America.
We cannot afford, therefore, to close
the war until we have driven from the
ocean the pirate and assissin subma-
rine.
IN this matter the interests of our
own national defense combine and
coalesce with the majesty and inviola-
bility of law, justice and humanity.
Can you not see at once that if Ger
man submarines are to plow the seas
the commerce Of the world will be at
the mercy Of Germany, and America
will be as much exposed to it's depre-
dations as any of the countries of Eu-
rope? Engulfing the merchant vessels
and the travellers of all the nations in
common destruction, the submarine
abrogates the security which our iso-
lation has hitherto conferred upon us,
! and leaves the Monroe doctrine little
| more than scrap Of paper.
But there is a third condition of
| tos on the subject of peace you will
| find the demand for the security of
| Germany and guarantees for the fu-
ture. By these phrases, however, Ger
man statesmen and writer's always
mean such annexations Of territory,
such rectifications of frontier, such
| additions Of coastline, and such mo-
nopoly Of natural resources as will in
any future contingency makeGermany
predominant, not merely over any one
nation: but over any combination of
| European nations. In this program
the rights and just security Of other
nations and the guarantees to which
| they are equally entitled are absolute
ly ignored. And it would not be un-
natural If writers in some of these
countries should advocate by wav of
retaliation similar chopping up Of
German territory and similar appro-
prlation of German resources.
There can, however, be no perma-
nent international settlement of the
present world contest along these
lines. Germany is, indeed, entitled to
security III the future Germany should
indeed, have guarantees; but this Sc
curlty and those guarantees are not
more imperative in the case of Ger
many than they are in the cast of
England, France, or the United States,
All civilized nations are equally en-
Titled to immunity from the horrors
OF war and the menace of overmaster-
ing power centered in single state
or group of states. Is it too much to
hope that in this twentieth century OF
Christian civilization the world has
, now reached a stage in which under
the rule OF reason and of right ma
tlons, big and small alike, may occupy
ana use their own territorial domain
, safe from the apprehension of DANGER
, of attack from neighboring nations
J An international organization of the
nations, and especially of the democ.
' racles Of the world, for the permanent
{ maintenance of peace, law and Justice
! should be the eliminating condition O.
a the cessation of this colossal worl(
: conflict. No civilized nation shoult
S hereafter be permitted to wage wa,
+. without the consent Of the other ma
tons of the world. For war is n,
: longer, as formerly, a sort of side is
S sue; 1T engulfs the entire life of tn
n world; 1t exhausts all the forces. phvs
1cai, economic, and financial, or In
e Deihgerents; and, in consequence O
, scientific inventions, it controls nat
: ural powers too mighty and too dan
: gerous for use by any nation whic
It mas lost It's reason and become tn
n blind victim of hate and every mur
d derous impulse. War is too colossa
IS and too perilous thing for the worl
le longer to endure. The world, too,
II ':eE ccratio, aid de, locrati
h nations are industrial and not mill
ID tant. Some such organization as
l. league to enforce peace must at tn
d. close ct this great war, in Presider
st wilson's phrase, henceforth make th
er world rl safe for democracy.
le This is cause to which at the "a
er OF our country we have dedicated on,
selves: There has been none nobler
to the history of nations. It is wort
as nlgn5lng Tor, worth dying for. Gu
b. republic can not endure if German
h. wins this war. For the German idea'
s, OF autocracy, of domination. of r,1tI
IL less force, and lawlessness are abst