The Monticellonian., 1918-11-15

aster. Who will now seek to revive 1t? The arbitrary power of the mili- tary caste of Germany which once could secretly. and or It's own single choice, disturb the peace of the world is diseredited and destroyed. And more than that--much more than that-has been accomplished. The great nations which associated themselves to de- stroy it has now definitely uaited in the common purpose to set up such a peace as will satisfy the longing of the whole world for disinterested justice. embodied in settlements which are based upon something much better and much more lasting than the selfish competitive interests of powerful states. There is no longer conjecture as to the objects the victors have in mind
 The humane temper and intention of the victorious governments has al- ready been manifested in a very prac- tical way. Their representatives in the Supreme War Council at Versailles have by unanimous resolution assured the peoples of the central empires that everything that is possible in the cir cumstanees will be done to supply them with the food and relieve the dis dressing want that is in so many places threatening their very lives,
 By the us of the idle tonnage of the central empires it ought presently to be possible to lift the fear Of utter misery from their oppressed popula- tions and set their minds and energies free for the great and hazardous tasks Of political reconstruction which now face them on every hand Hunger does not breed reforms, it breeds madness and all the ugly distempers that make an ordered life impossible.
 For the fall of the ancient govern ments which rested like an incubus upon the peoples of the Central Elm pires, has come political change not merely, but revolution: and revolution which seems as yet to assume no final and ordered form, but to run from one
 
 ful men are forced to asked them selves, with what governments, and what sort. are we about to deal in the making of the covenants of peace? With what authority will they meet us. and with what assurance that their authority will abide and sustain in se- curity the international arrangements into which we are about to enter, There is here matter for no small anxiety and misgiving. When peace is made, upon whose promises and en- agreements besides our own Is it to rest?
 Let us be perfectly frank with our selves and admit that these questions can not be satisfactorily answered now or at once.
 But the moral is not that there is little hope of any early answer that will suffice. 1t is only that we must be patient and helpful and mindful above all of the great hope and confi- dence that lie at the heart of what is taking place. Excesses accomplish nothing. Unhappy Russia has fur nished abundant proof of that Dis order immediately defeats itself. If excesses should occur, if disorder should for a time raise its head, a so- Der second thought will follow and a day of constructive action if we help and do not hinder
 "The present and all that it holds belongs to the nations and the peoples who preserve their self control and the orderly processes Of tne,r govern ments; the future of those who prove themselves the true friends of man. kind. To conquer with arms is to make only temporary conquest; to conquer the world by earning its esteem is to make permanent con- quests. l am confident that the na- tions that have learned the discipline of freedom and that have settled with self-possession to it's ordered practice are now about to make conquest of the world by sheer power of example and of friendly helpfulness.
 I "The people who have just come out from under the yoke of arbitrary gov ernment and who are now coming at last into their freedom will never find the treasures of liberty they are in search of if they look for them by the light of the torch. They will find that every pathway that is stained with the blood of their own brothers leads to the wilderness, not to the seat of their hope. They are now face to face with their initial tests. We must hold the light steady until they find themselves. And in the meantime if it be possible we must establish a peace that will justly define their place among the nations, remove all fear of their neigh bors and of their former masters. and enable them to live in security and conteptment when they have set their own affairs in order.
 There are some happy signs that they know and will choose the way of self-control and peaceful aecommo- dation. If they do, we shall put our aid at their disposal in every way that we can. If they do not. we must await with patience and sympathy the awak- ening and recovery that will assuredly come at last"
 public men have been carefully studied