The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-27

fare of the whole is the guiding line
for a decision to be taken. 1t may
| he useful expressly to point this out
| to President Wilson's countrymen.
The Balance of Power.
''Then, finally, at the close Of the
second clause, the game Of the ball
ance Of power is declared to be for
ever dicredited. We, too. can only
gladly applaud. As is we'll known, ii
was England who invented the
, principle of the maintenance of the
balance Of power, in order especially
| to apply it when one of the states on
| the European continent threatened to
become too powerful for her. 1t was
only another expression for England's
domination.
The third clause, according to
which every territorial settlement in
vOlved in this war must be made in
the interest for the benefit Of the
populations concerned, and not as
part Of any mere adjustment or
compromise of claims among rival
states, is only the application OF the
foregoing in a definite direction, or a
deduction from it, and is therefore
included in the assent given to that
clause.
Now, in the fourth clause the de-
mands that all well defined national
aspirations shall be accorded the ut
most satisfaction that can be accord
ed them without introducing new or
perpetuating old elements of discord
and antagonism that would be likely
in time to break the peace OF Europe.
and consequently. of the world. Here.
also, / can give assent in principle.
and / declare, therefore, with Presi-
dent Wilson. that general peace on
such a basis Is 6iscuSSa hIe
Must Come From All.
"0nIy one reservation is to be
made. These principles must not be
proposed by the President of the
United States alone, but they must
also be recognized definitely by all
states and nations. President Will
son, who reproaches the German
chancellor with a certain amount OF
backwardness. seems to me in his
flight of ideas to have hurried far in
advance of existing realities. Il
Certainly, a league Of nations
erected upon justice and mutual UNI
selfish appreciation, a condition or
humanity in which war, together
with all that remains of the earliest
barbarism should have completely
disappeared and in which there
should be no bloody sacriices, no
OF peoples, no
destruction OF Iaboriously acquired
cultural values-that would be an
aim devoutly to be desired.
But that aim has not yet been
reached. There does not vet exist q
court Of arbitration set up by all ma
tions for the safeguarding Of peace
in the name Of justice. When Presi-
dent Wilson incidentally says that
the German chancellor is speaking to |
: rvsla 7 auf
as things stand today, in the name |
of the German empire and her allies, !
decline this court as prejudiced, |
joyfully as / would greet it, If an
impartial court of arbitration exist
ed. and gladly as / would cooperate |
to realize such ideals.
Unfortunately, however, there is |
no trace Of a similar state of mind 4
on the part of the leading powers in
the entente. England's war aims, as
recently expressed in Lloyd Georges |
speeches, are stfll thoroughly inn /
perialistic and want to impose on the /
world a peace according to England's
good pleasure. When England talks
about peoples right Of self
she does not think Of
applying the principle to Ireland
Egypt or India.
Declaring that the new German
operations against Russia were taken
at the request Of the populations TO
restore order and that they did not
aim at conquests, the chancellor con-
.inued
Our. war aims from the beginning
we're the defense of the Fatherland, 1
the maintenance of our territorial
integrity and the freedom Of our
economic development. Our warfare,
even where it must be aggressive in
action, is defensive in aim. = Lay
especial stress upon that just how In
order that no Misunderstanding
shall arise about our operations in Il
he east.
After the breaking off OF peace
by the Russian delega-
ion Feb. 10, we had free hand as
against Russia. The sole aim Of the
ldvance of our troops, which was be-
gun seven days after the rupture,
vas to safeguard the fruits OF our
leace with Ukraine Aims Of con-
ruest were in no way a determining
actor. We were strengthened in
his by the Ukrainians' appeal OF