The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-10-01
OUR WAR POLICY AND OUR PEACE
PRINCIPLE


PRINCIPLE
The United States will not haggle over peace
terms She will not barter and trade at the peace
conference. She will not ask the central powers
to "agree" to do this or refrain from doing that
The United States does not propose to talk over
terms of peace with the imperial government Of
Germany because the United States does not be-
ieve that she could place any faith in the word o.
that government and could place no trust in any
peace treaty Prussian junkers might sign Presi
dent Wilson, in his Liberty Loan speech at New
York made this clear
Wilson split no hairs and shaded no sentences
He left neither Germany nor our allies in doubt a:
to where America stands today.
America has come from out Of the clouds Of
German peace terms. There will be no German
terms. There will be German defeat. Unmistak
ably the president made Americas war goal thu
unconditional surrender of Germany. Only BY
achieving that upon the field of battle can we elm
mate German terms from discussion at the peace
conference, and that as set forth by America
spokesman, is our war policy from henceforth
This is necessary, the president asserts, because
the world wishes the final triumph of justice ant
fair dealings r* ..>
We can have no justice and no fair dealing from
, the present government of Germany unless it i.
beaten into submission and we can demand justice
and guarantee it ourselves This would follow {
German unconditional surrender. It is the only
thing which will assure freedom, for ALL forever. \
Indeed, the president lays down five principles
of peace which are nothing less or more than 8
demand for freedom, for all, forever, and he pro-
poses to gain that freedom. for all, forever, by
the final and decisive defeat of the German forces
The presidents peace principles would bring free.
dom for>all. 49,.
And then he goes on and tells how freedom fol
all may last FOREVER. ~ 49,"
g to create in some vire fashion the only in
strumentality by which it be made certain that
the agreements of the peace will be honored and
fulfilled the president said.
We must not only demand certain acts of omis-
sion and commission from the German govern
ment, but we must at the same time assure our
selves that Germany will obey not only for few
years but for all time. $780,.
1T would be folly to leave the guarantee to the
subsequent voluntary action of the governments
we have seen destroy Russia and Rumania," the
president said.
The word of the German ruler is worthless, and
his treaties are what he says they are-mere
scraps of paper.
Therefore. before we may stop fighting cover
there we must have something better than the
kaiser's word or scrap Of paper signed by the
German government. There is no guarantee the
German imperial government can give the rest Of
the world which is worth pinch Of salt. That
government is an outlaw, insincere, dishonest and
unbelievable The allies must erect the peace
structure upon foundation of their own devising.
That, President Wilson, points out is league> Of
nations l
without such instrumentalty, by which the
peace of the world can be guaranteed, peace will
rest in part upon the word of outlaws and only
upon that word" he said &
CAS- see it, he continued, "the constitution Of
that league of nations and the clear definitions of
its objects must be part is in a sense the most
essential part. of the peace settlement ITSELF"
FREEDOM may come FOR ALL, at the peace
table, but it cannot last FOREVER. and the .'tri-
umph Of justice and fair dealings, may come, but
it may not continue unless the league of nations
stands against international oppression, injustice
and covetousness.
The league f-nations peace term is the triumph
for which we now are fighting because it is the
through which all our other peace
terms may be made permanent. It is the gate
which win close to future world wars, the door
shut to kaisers and war lords. It is the end Of