The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-08

|NHY UNITED STATES IS IN THIS WAR
| AND WHAT IS INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH

" nOOVl1Du l0Ou
have got Tho negotiations have been
broken off.
Tho Russian representatives wer<
sIncere and In earnest They cam
entertain such proposals Of conqv
and domination.
PERPLExITY AND SIGNIFICANCE
The whole Incident Is full Of slgnlfi-
canoe. 1t is also full OF perpIexfty.
With whom are the Russian repre-
sentatives dealing? For whom are
the representatives Of the central en-
plres speakins7 Are they speaking
for the maJorltIes Of their respective
parIiaments or for the minority par
ties, that military and lmperialistic
minority which has 80 far dominated
their whole policy and controlled the
affairs Of Turkey and Of the Balkan
states, which have felt obliged to be-
come their associates In this war;
The Russian representatives have In
sisted, very Justly, very wisely and In
the true spirit Of modern democraeN
that tho conferences they have been
holding with the Teutonic and Turk
lsh statesmen should be held withlA
open, not closed, doors, and all tho
world has been tho audience, az wac
desired. To whom have we been lis
tening, then? To those who speak
the spirit and Intention OF the resolt
tlons Of the German reIchstag OF the
ninth OF July last, the spirit and In
tentIon Of the liberal leaders and par
Ties Of Germany, or those who re-
sIst and defy that spirit and lnten-
tlon and Insist upon conquest and sub
! uoation7 Or are we listening, In
fact, 10 both, unreconciled and In
open and hopeless contradictions
These are very serious and pregnant
questions. Upon the answer to them
depends the peace OF the world.
But. whatever the result Of the par
leys at Rrest-Litovsk, whatever the
conclusions Of counsel and Of purpose
In the utterances Of the spokesmen OF
tho central empires, they have again
attempted to acqsIalnt the world with
their objects In the war and have
again asked their adversarlee to say
what their objectIves are and what
sort Of settlement they would deem
lust and satisfactory. There Is no good
reason why that courage should not
be responded to and responded to
with the utmost candor. We did not
wait for It. Not for once, but again
and again we have laid our whole
thought and purpose before the world
not In general terms only, but each
time with sufficient definition to make
It clear what sort Of definition, terms
and settlement must necessarily
sprIna out of them. Within the last
week Mr.. LIoyd-George has spoken
with admirable candor and in admir-
able spirit for the people and the gov
ernn1ent of Great Britain. There Is
no confusion of counsel among the
adversaries Of the central powers, no
uncertainty of principle, no vasueness
Of detail. The only secrecy of coun-
sci, the only lack of fearless frank
ness. the only failure to make defi-
mite statement of the objects Of the
war, lies with Germany and her allies.
The issues of life and death hang up
on these definitions. No statesman
who has the least concerEion Of his
responsibility, ought fer moment to
permit himself to continue this tragi-
ca! and appalling outpourins Of blood
and treasure unless he is. sure beyond
peradventure that the objects of
the vital sacrifice are part and parcel
of the very life Of society and people
for whom he speaks, think them
riuht and imperative as he does.
VOICE OF RUSSIA CALLING.
There is, moreover, voice calling
for these definitions Of principle and
purpose which Is, 1t seems to me,
more thrilling and more compelling
than any Of the many moving voices
with which the troubIous air of the
world is filled. It is the voice Of tho
Russian people. They are PROSTATE
and all but helpless, 1t would seem,
before the grim power of Germany,
which has hitherto known no repent
Ing and no pity.
Their power apparently Is shat
tered. And yet their soul Is not sub
servient. They viii! not yield either
In principle or In action. Their con-
ception Of what is right, Of what is
humane and honorable for them to ac-
cept. has been stated with frank
ness, Iargeness Of view, a senerds-
ity Of spirit and a universal human
sympathy which must encourage the
admiration Of every friend Of man.
kind. Ana tney nave Tsiaseu 10 CoH,-
pound their ideals or desert others
that they themselves may be safe.
They call on US to say what it Is that
we desire; In what, If anything, our
purpose and our spirit differ from
theirs. And believe that the people
of the United States would wish me
to respond with utter simplicity and
frankness. Whether their present
L.
heartfelt desire that some way may
be opened whereby we may be priv
iIaed to assist the people of Russia to
attain their utmost OF liberty and or
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