Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-14
NO COWARD,S PEACE

Owen johnson, after visiting the French armies, and
talking with the chiefs. with the politicians and with the
people. wrote: There has never been any doubt about
France-she will never accept a towards peace" 2
The spirit of France accords with her necessity. And
her necessity is that also Of her allies and Of ourselves
To rid the French soil Of the invader is something. To
have Belgium restored is something. To have Alsacel re-
gained, is something. These achievements would be the
insignia Of victory. But they would not necessarily mean
peace in the future. OF themselves alone they would con.
stitute provocation for renewed war. They would inA-
cate German defeat, but would leave to- Germany the op-
portuniry to recuperate. and at an 'opportune moment to
assail civilization again.
A Germany left formidable would compel France to
forego her democracy and submit to some form Of mill
tary dictatorship. When one is confronted with the alter
native Of survival or extinction. one does not hesitate to
survive at any price. even that Of loss Of liberty. Nor
would France alone be compelled to put herself into mill
taristic chains. Great Britain would have to do the like,
and even the United States would no longer feel secure
without a vast armament.
The measure of the French necessity and security in
this world predicament is the measure Of those of the
United States. We are not waging war merely to save a
sister republic. To do so would be magnanimous. but
Quixotic. What we are doing. is saving ourselves by help
ing France. The downfall of France would menace the
United States directly, would leave us no alternative but
to prepare to defend the whole Western Hemisphere by
force of arms alone. ~ =
u Nor is it sufficient to save France and restore Belei-
UNI. The war must be won ip the East as well as In the
West. This can be permanently done in only one way, by
ending Germany's ability to make war. Break Germany.
or we lose eventually-that is the gist of the matter.
Let us hope that the German people overthrow their
own despotism. We have no real conflict with the Ger
man people, except insofar as they are the instruments of
the autocracy. But we should be simple minded to take
it for granted that a supposiious German democracy
would be any more exercised Of this devil Of conquest
than is the absolutism of Prussia. A people do not lend
themselves to the barbariies of their rulers in such q
fashion as the Germans have done, without moral partici-
patton in the guilt. We may hope that a freed German
people will develop better conscience and practice, but to
take for granted that they will do so is like trusting the
word of honor Of a murderer, a ravisher, and a looter.
And the German people have not even admitted their re-
morse and repentance. They still exult in their sins. al
though regrettipg the punishment.
The world wants peace. a real peace, after this war.
God knows the price has been enough to buy permanent
peace. Having paid, let us not be fooled or take any
chances. Let US know what we are getting and see that
we get it. The world does not want a truce, a patched-up
agreement bound to be broken. It wants and will have
insurance against war. The core Of such insurance is
German people show that they have come to their senses
and esteem again the common Christian moralities-Min
'neapols Journal. -