Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-01-12
issues of life and death hang upon these definitions

bty ought for monont to permit himself to continue
this tragca and appalling outpouring of blood and
Treasure unless he is beyond peradventure that the
objects of the vital sacrifice 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.
There is, moreover voice for these definitions OF
principle and of purpose which is it seems to me,
thrilling and more compelling than any of the many
moving voices with which the troubled air of the world
filled It is the voice of the Russian people. They are
PROSTATE and all but helpless it would seem before the
grim power of Germany, which has hitherto known no
reenting and no pity Their power apparently is shat
tered and yet their soul not subservent They will
not yield either in principle or in action
The conception of what right of what is humane and
honorable for them to accept has been stated with frank
ness largeness of view generosity of spirit and
universal humane sympathy which justly challenge the
admiration of every friend of mankind and they have
fused to compound their ideals desert others that they
themselves may be safe They call say what it
we desire if in anything purpose and spirit differ
from Theirs and believe that the people of the United
States should wish to respond with utter simplicity
and frankness. Whether their present leaders believe
not is our heartfelt desire and hope that way
may be opened whereby may be privileged to assist
the people of Russia to attain their utmost hope of liberty
and ordered peace.
1t will be wish and purpose and the purposes of
peace when they begun shall be absolutely open and
that they shall involve and permit henceforth secret
understandings of any kind.
The day OF conquest and ACKNOWLEDGMENT is gone; is
also the day of secret covenants entered into in the interest
Of particular governments and likely at some lookedfor
moment to upset the peace Of the world 1t is this happy
fact, now clear to the view of every public man whose
thoughts do not still nger age that is dead and gone
which makes it possible for every nation whose purposes
consistent with justice and the peace of the world to
or at any time the objects it has in view.
We entered this because violations of right had
occurred which touched to the quick and made the life
of people impossible unless they were corrected
and the world secured for all against their reocc
renee. What demanded in this war, therefore, is
nothing peculiar to ourselves 1t is that the world bel
made safe and fit to live In and particularly that it be
made safe for every peaceoving nation which, like our
own, wishes to live its life determine its own ns
uons be assured of justice and fair dealings by the
other peoples Of the world against force and selfish
aggression All the peoples of the world are in effect
partners in this interest and for part see very
clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not
be done to us
The program Of the worlds peace therefore is our pro-
gram and that program, the only possible program as
we see it, is this
L. Open covenants Of peace, openly arrived at after
which there shall be private international understand
ings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always
frankly and in the public view
2 Absolute freedom Of navigation upon the seas, out
side territorial waters, alike in peace and war; except
as the may be closed in whole in part by inter
national action for the enforcement of international
nants
B. The removal so far possible, of all economic
barriers and the establishment of equality of trade
conditions among all the nations conserving to the peace
and associating themselves for its maintenance.
f. Adequate guarantees given and taken that national
will be reduced to the lowest point consist
net with domestic safety.
>. free, minded and absolutely impartial adj /
justment of all colonial claims based upon strict OBJ
servance of the principle that in determining all such
questions of sovereignty the interests of the populations
concerned must have equal weight with the equitable
claims of the government whose title to be determined
g. he evacuation of all Russian Territory and such