Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1918-01-10

! ! ! ! ..'||''| J STATES;
probably in line with the recent
statement, by British p Premier Lloyd
George. 3s5. I. Il & ii.
s Senate and house leaders have
arranged for a joint session in the
house chamber.
The president spoke as follows:
Gentlemen Of Congress-:
Once more, as repeatedly before,
the spokesman of the Central En-
pires have indicated their desire to
discuss the objects of the war and
possible basis Of general peace.
Parleys have been in progress at
Brest Litovsk between Russian rep
resentatives and representatives of
the Central Powers, to which
the attention of all belligerents has
been invited for the purpose of as
certaining whether it may be possible
to extend their parleys into q gener-
al conference with regard to the
terms Of peace and settlement. The
Russian representatives presented
not only perfectly definite state
ment of principles upon which they
would be willing to conclude peace,
but also an equally definite program
Of concrete application of those
principles. The representatives: OF
the Central Powers, on their part,
presented y an outline OF settlement
which, II much less definite. seemed
susceptible OF liberal Interpretation
until their specific program Of prac-
tical terms was added. The pro-
gram proposed no concessions at all,
either to the sovereignty Of Russia or
to preference of the population with
whose fortunes it dealt, bpt meant, in
word, that the Central Empires
were to keep every foot Of territory
their armed forces had occupied
every province, every city, every
,point Of yantage-as q permanent
addition ito their territories and their
mower. 1t is q reasonable conjecture
that the general principles sof settle
ment which they at first suggested,
orieinated with, more liberal state
ment of the aims Of Germany and
Austria, by the men who have le-
gun to, feel the force of thetI own
peoples. thought and purppse while
the concrete terms Of actual settle
ment came from the military leaders
who have no thought but to keep
what they have got. The negotta-
ttfons have been broken OF. The RUS
sian representatives were sincere and
In earnest. They cannot entertain
such proposals Of conquest and dom
sination. ssss j.5a 5i &. q
The whole incident is full of sig
niflcance. It is also full of perplex-
ity. With whom are the representa-
tives Of Russia dealing? For whom
are the representatives of the Cen
tral Empires speaking? Are they
speaking for the majorities of their
respective parliaments or for minor
ity party, that military and imperial.
istic, minority which has 80 far DOM
mated their whole policy and con-
.trolled the affairs of Turkey and Of
the Balkan states, which have felt
Obliged to become their associates in
this war? The Russian representa-
tives have insisted that the confer
.ences they have been holding should
have been held within open, not
closed doors, and all the world has
been their audience, as was desired.
TO whom have we been listening,
then? To those who speak the spir-
It and intention Of the resolution Of
the German reichstag Of the ninth
Of July last, the spirit and intention
of the liberal leaders and parties of
Germany, or to those who resist and
defy that spirit and intention and
insist upon conquest and subjuga-
ton? Or are we listening, in fact,
to both unreconciled, and in open
and hopeless contrad ton
These are very serious and preg-
snant questions. Upon the answer to
them, depends the peace Of the world
But whatever the result of the g
parleys at Brest Litovsk, whatever
the confusions5 Of council and OF pur'-'
pose in the utterances Of the aspoke
men of the Central Empires, they
have attempte to acquaint the world
with their object in the war and
have again challenged their adver-5
saries TO say. what their objects are
and what sort Of settlement they
deem Just and satisfactory. .s h
There 10 no good reason why that
,challengeS should not be responded to
ana responded to with utmost candor.
We did not wait for It. Not once,
but again and again we have laid our
whole thought and purpose before
the world mot general terms only.
but each time with sum lcient dedni-
tion Sme kesit clear what sort Of sdef:-