River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-07-11

can profit but themselves, anu whose
peoples are fuel in their hands, gov
ernments which fear their people and
yet are for the time their sovereign
lords, making every choice for them
and disposing of their lives and for
tunes as they will, as well as Of the
lives and fortunes of every people who
fall under their power-government
clothed with the strange trappings
and the primitive authority of an age
that is altogether alien and hostile to
our own. The past and the present
are in deadly grapple and the peoples
of the world are being done to. death
between them.
There can be but one issue. The
settlement must be final. There can
be no compromise. No halfway de-
cision would be toIerable. No half
way decision is conceivable.
Why u. S. and Allies Are Fighting.
These are the ends for which the
associated peoples of the world are
fighting and which must be conceded
them before there can be peace.
First-The destruction of every ar
bitrary power anywhere that can sep
arately, secretly, and on its single
choice disturb the peace of the world.
or, if it cannot be presently destroyed,
at the least its reduction to virtual i'm
potence.
Second-The settlement of every
question, whether of territory or Of
sovereignty, of economic arrangement,
or of political relationship, upon the
basis of the free acceptance of that
settlement by the people Immediately
concerned, and not upon the basis of
the material interest or advantage of
any other nation or people which may
desire a different settlement for the
sake of its own exterior influence or
mastery.
Third-The consent of all nations
to be governed in their conduct to-
wards each other by the same princi-
pies of honor and of respect for the
common law of civilized society that
govern the individual citizens of all
modern states in their relations with
one another; to the end that all prom,
ises and covenants may be sacredly
observed, no private plots or conspi-
racies Matched, no selfish injuries
wrought with impunity, and mutual
trust established upon the handsome
foundation of a mutual respect for
right.
Fourth-The establishment of an
organization of peace which shall make
it certain that the combined power of
free nations will check every invasion
of right and serve to make peace and
justice the more secure by affording
definite tribunal of opinion to which
all must submit and by which every
international readjustment that can
not be amicably agreed upon by the
peopels directly concerned shall be
sanctioned.
DeathIess Effort Against Foe.
These great objects can be put into
a single sentence:
What we seek is the reign of law,
based upon the consent of the gov
erned and sustained by the organized
opinion of mankind.
These great ends cannot be achieved
by debating and seeking to reconcile
nA10 oNCO1ul1OOdLO W1dL SLdCGSllCn
may wish, with their projects for bal
ances of power and of national oppor-
tunity. They can be realized only by
the determination of what the think
ing peoples of the world desire, with
their longing hope for justice and for
social freedom and opportunity.
/ can fancy that the air of this place
carries the accents of such principles
with peculiar kindness. Here were
started forces which the great nation
against which they were primarily di-
rected at first regarded as a. revolt
against its rightful authority, but
which it has long since seen to have
been a step in the liberation of it's
own people as well as of the people Of
the United States, and / stand here
now to speak-speak proudly and with
confident hope-of the spread of this
revolt, this liberation, to the great
stage of the world ITSELF
The blinded rulers of Prussia have
reused forces they knew little Of
forces which, once reused, can never
be crushed to earth again; for they
have at their heart an inspiration and
a purpose which are deathlcss and OF
the very stuff of triumph.