Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-01-08
Continued from page One)

nificanee. 1t is also full of perplexity
With whom are the Russian represent
atives dealingR For whom are the rep.
resentatives of the Central empires
speaking9 Are they speaking for the
maiorities of their respective parlia-
ments or for the minority parties, that
military and imperialistic minority
which has so far dominated their
whole policy and controlled the affairs
of Turkey and of the Balkan states,
which have felt obliged to become
their associates in this war2 The BUS
sian representatives have insisted,
very Justly, very wisely and in the
true spirit of modern democracy, that
the conferences they have been hold
ing with the Teutonic and Turkish
statesmen should be held within open,
not closed doors, and all the world
has been audience, as was desired. To
whom have we been listening, then
To those who speak the spirit and in
tention Of the resolutions Of the Ger
man reichstag of the ninth of July
last, the spirit and intention of the
liberal leaders and parties of Germany
or those who resist and defy that spir-
it and intention and insist upon con
quest and subjugation2 Or are we list
ening, in fact, to both, unreconclled
and in open and hopeless contradic-
tion? There are very serious and preg
nant questions. Upon the answer to
thenI- depends the peace of the world.
The Challenge Accepted
But, whatever the result Of the
parleys at Brest-Litovsk, whatever the
conclusions of council and of purpose
in the utterances of the spokesmen OF
the Central empires, they have again
attempted to acquaint the world with
their objects in the war and have
again challenged their adversaries to
say what their objects are and what
sort of settlement they would deem
Just and satisfactory There is no good
reason why that challenge should not
be responded to and responded to with
the utmost candor We did not await
for it. Not once, but again and again,
we have laid our whole thought and
purpose before the world, not in gem
era1 terms only, but each time with
sufficient definition to make it clear
what sort of definitive terms and set
tlement must necessarily spring out,
of them. Within the last week Mr..
Lloyd George has spoken with admir-
able candor and in admirable spirit
for the people and government of
Great Britain. There is no confusion
of counsel among the adversaries of
the Central Powers, no uncertainty ot
principle, no vagueness of detail. The
only secrecy of counsel, the only lack
of fearless frankness, the only fail
ure to make definite statement of the
objects of the war, lies with Germany
and her allies. The issues of life and
death hang upon these definitions. No
statesman who has the least concep
ton of his responsibility ought for a
moment to permit himself to continue
this tragical and appalling outpouring
Of blood and treasure, unless he is
sure beyond a peradventure that the
objects of the vital sacrifice are part
and parcel cf the very life of society
and that the people for whom he
speaks think them right and impera-
tive as he does.
The Voice of Russia
"There is, moreover, voice calling
for these definitions of principle and
of purpose which is, it seems to me, |
more thrilling and |more compelling
than any of the many moving voices
with which the troubled air of the
world is filled 1t 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 nc relenting |
and no pity.
"Their power apparently, is shatter-
ed. And yet their soul is not subsery- |
lent. They will not yield either in prin
ciple or in action Their conception OF
what is right, of what is humane and
honorable for them to accept, has |
been stated with 4rankness, large |
ness of view, generosity of spirit
and a universal human sympathy which,
must challenge the admiration of ev-
cry friend of mankind; and they have
refused to compound their ideals or
desert others that they themselves
may be safe. They call on us to say |
what it is that we desire; in what,
il anything, our purpose and our splr-
it differs from theirs. And belleve
that the people of the United States
would wish me to respond, with utter
simplicity and franAness. Whether
their present leaders believe it or not,
it is our heartfelt desire that some
way may be opened whereby we may
be privileged to assist the people OF
Russia to attain their utmost hope OF
hoerty and ordered peace. 1t will be
our wish and purpose that the process
es of peace, when UHey are begun
shall be absolutely open and that they
shall involve and permit heneeforth
no secret understandings of any kind.
The day of conquest and aggrandlze-
ment is gone by; so is also the day OF
secret covenants entered into in the
Of particular governments and
likely at some unlocked for moment
to upset the peace of the world. 1t Is
this happy fact now clear to the view
OIL every public land whose thoughts
do not still linger in an age that IS
dead and gone which makes it possi-
BILE for every nation whose purposes
are consistent with justice and the
peace of the world to avow now or
at any other time the objects it has IN |
view.
"We entered this war because vio-
lations of right had occurred which |
touched us to the quick and made the
life of our own people impossible IN
less they were corrected and the world |
secured once for all against their re-
eurrence. What we demand in this I
war, therefore, is nothing peculiar to
ourselves. 1t is that the world be made
fit and safe to live in; and particular
h -