Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-02-20

| Itiul Was aware Vi llIciH ut thV lihtN
he was uttering them, but in this | am
sure he was misunderstood. had re-
| ceived no intimation of what he In
tended to say. There was, Of course
no reason why he should communicate
| privately with me. / am quite content
to be one of his public audience.
HertIine's Reply Is Vague.
Count Won Hertling's reply Is. l
must say, very vague and very confus-
ing. 1t is full of equiyOcal phrases
and leads, II is not clear, where. But
it is certainly In very different tone
from that Of Count Czernin and appar-
emily Of an opposite purpose. Ii con-
firms, ] am sorry TO say, rather than
removes. the unfortunate impression
made by what we had learned Of the
conference at Brest-Litovsk. His dis
cussion ana acceptance Of our general
principles lead him to no practical
conclusion.
HE refuses to apply them to the
substantive items which must consti-
tute the body of any final settlement.
He Is jealous of international action
and of International counsel. He ac-
cepts, he says, the principle of public
diplomacy. but he appears to insist
that 1t be confined, at any rate in this
case. 10 generalities, and that the sew
eral particular questions of territory
and sovereignty. the several questions
upon whose settlement must depend
the sccepssncc If peace by the y
states now engaged in the war must
be discussed and settled. not in gen
eral council. but severally by the ma
lions most Immediately concerned by
interest or neighborhood.
Military Party Favored.
"He agreed that the seas should be
free, but looks askance at any limita-
ton to that freedom by international
action in the interest of the common
order He would without reserve be
glad TO see economic barriers removed
between nation and nation. for that
could in no way impede the ambitions
of the military party with whom he
seems constrained 10 keep on terms.
Neither does he raise objection to n
limitation of ornaments. That mat
ter will be settled OF itself. he thinks,
by the economic conditions which must
follow the war. But the German col
onies, he demands, must be returned
without debate He will discuss with
no one but the representatives of Rus
sin what dispositions shall he made
of the peoples and the lands Of the
Baltic provinces; with no one hut the
government Of France the conditions"
under which French territory shall he
evacuated. and only with Austria
what shall be done with Poland.
Cannot Accept Vienna Peace.
in the determination OF all ques-
tons affecting the Balkan states he
defers as I understand him to Aus
tria and Turkey; and with regard TO
the agreements to be entered into cor
corning the non-Turkish peoples of the
present Ottoman empire to the Turk
ish authorities themselves. After a
settlement all around, effected In this
fashion. by individual barter and con-
cession, he would have no objection. If
| correctly interpret his statement 70
a league Of nations which would IN
dertake to hold the new balance Of
power steady against external disturb
ances.
at must be evident TO everyone
who understands what this war has
wrought in the opinion and temper Of
the world that no general peace, no
peace worth the infinite sacrifices OF
these years of tragical suffering, can
possibly be arrived at In any such
fashion.
Refers TO the Reichstae.
THE method the German chancel-
Tor proposes IS the method Of the con-
gress Of Vienna. We cannot and will
not return TO that. What is at stake
now is the peace of the world. What
we are striving for is a new lnterna-
tional order based upon broad and uni
versal principles Of right and justice
no mere peace Of shreds and patches.
Is IL possible that Count Won Hertlng
does not see that, does not grasp IT, is.
in fact, living In his thought in a world
dead and gone? Has he utterly for
gotten the reichstag resolutions OF the
10th of-July, or does he deliberately
ignore them? They spoke Of the con-
ditlons Of a general peace. not OF ma
tional ACKNOWLEDGEMENT or OF arrange
mentS between state and state. The
peace Of the world depends upon the
Just settlement Of each Of the several
problems 10 which I adverted In my
recent address to the congress. I. Of
course. do not mean that the peace Of
he world depends upon the accept
ance of any particular set % sugges-
tions as to the way In which those
problems are TO be dealt with. I mean
only that these problems. each and
all. affect the whole world that unless
they are dealt with in spirit OF IN
selfish and unbiased justice. with
view 10 the wishes. the natural connec-
iions. the racial aspirations. the Sc
curity and peace OF mind of the peO-
plies Involved. no permanent peace will
have been attained.
They cannot be discussed separate
liz or I'm corners. None of them con-
stitutes a private or separate interest
from which the opinion Of the world
may b. smit out. Whatever affects the
peace affects mankind and nothing
settled by military force. II settled
wrong. Is settled at all. II will pres
emily have to he reopened
All Nations In Judgment