The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-04-07
Fifteen THOUSAND PERSONS CHEER
WHEN PRESIDENT DENOUNCES DESPOT
AND PLOT TO DEBASE THE WORL: :;

ready whenever the final reckoning
is made to be just to the German
people, deal fairly with the German
power as with all others. There can
be no difference between peoples in
the final judgment, ii it is indeed to
be a righteous Judgment To pro-
pose anything but justice evenhand-
ed and dispassionate justice to Ger
many at any time, whatever the out
come of the war, would be to re-
uounce and dishonor our Cwn cause.
For we ask nothing that we are not
willing to accord.
Enemy Military Rules.
1t has been with this thought that
! have sought to learn from those
who spoke for Germany whether it
was justice or dominion and the
execution Of their own will upon the
other nations Of the world that the
German leaders were seeking.
They have answered. answered in
unmistakabl terms. They have
avowed that it was not justice, but
dominion, and the unhirdered exc
cution OF their own viii.
The ayoal has not come rom Ger
manys statesmen. 1t has come from
her military leaders, who are her
real rulers. Her statesmen have said
that they wished peace and were
ready to discuss its terms whenever
their opponents were willing to sit
down At the conference table with
them. Her present chancellor has
said in definite and uncertain terms,
indeed, and in phrases that seem
often to deny their own meaning,
but with as much plainncsS that he
thought prudent-that he believed
peace should be based upon the
principles which we had declared
would be our own in the final set.
tlement.
That Russian Tragedy.
At Brest Litovsk her civilian dele.
gates spoke in similar terms, pro-
fessed their desire to conclude a fair
peace and accord to the peoples with
whose fortunes they were dealing
the right to choose their own allie
giances. But action accompanied
this followed the profession. Their
military masters, the men who act
for Germany and exhibit her pur-
pose in execution, proclaimed a very
different conclusion. We cannot
mistake what they have done--in
Russia in Finland, in the Ukraine
in Rumania. The real test Of their
justice and fair play has come. From
this we may Judge the rest.
They are enjoying in Russia a
cheap triumph in which no brave or
gallant nation can long take pride. A
great people, helpless by their own
act, lies for the time at their mercy
Their fair professions arc forgotten
They nowhere set up justice, but
everywhere impose their power and
exploit everything for their own use
and agrandizement; and the peoples
OF conquered provinces are invited
to be free under their dominion.
He Asks Vital Question.
Are we not justified III believing
that they would do the same things
at their western front ii they were
not face to face with armies who
even their countless divisions can
not overcome, If when they have
felt their check to be final they
should propose favorable and equit,
able terms with regard to Belgium
and France and Italy. could they
blame us if we concluded that they
did so only to assure themselves Of
a free hand in Russia AMI the east
Their purpose is undoubtedly tc
make all the Slavic peoples, all the
free and ambitious nations of the
Baltic peninsula, all the lands that
Turkey has dominated and misruled
subject to their will and ambition
and build upon that dominion ar
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