The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-01-08

not be responded to and responded to
with the 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 not in
general terms only but each time with
sufficient definitions to make it clear
what sort of definitive terms Of set
Element must necessarily bring out Of
them.
George Has Spoken.
within the last week, Mr.. Lloyd
George has spoken with admirable
candor and with admirable spirit for
the people and government of Great
Britain. There is no confusion of
council among the adversaries of the
Central Powers. no uncertainty of
principle, no vagueness of detail. The
only secrecy of council. the only lack
of fearless frankness, the only failure
to make definite statements of the
objects of the war, lies with Germany
and her allies. The issues of life and
death hang upon those definitions.
No statesman who has the least con-
ception of his responsibility ought for
a moment to permit himself to con-
tinue this tragical and appalling out
pouring of blood and treasury unless
he is sure beyond peraventure that
the objects of the vital sacrifice are
part and parcel Of the very life Of
society and that the people for whom
he speaks think them right and i'm
perative as he does.
There is. moreover, voice calling
for these definitions of principle and
of purpose which is, it seems to me,
more thrilling and more compelling
than any of the many moving voices
with which the troubled air Of the
world is filled. 1t is the voice of the
Russian people They are PROSTATE
and all but helpless, it would seem be-
fore the grim power of Germany,
which has hitherto known no relenting
and no pity. Their power apparently
is shattered. And yet their soul is
not subservient. They will not yield
either in principle or in action.
"The conception Of what is right. of
what is human and honorable for
them to accept, has been stated with
a frankness, a largeness Of view, a
generosity of spirit and a universal hui
man sympathy which must challenge
| the admiration of every friend of man
kind; and they have refused to com.
I pound their ideals or desert Others
that they themselves may be safe
| They call to US to say what it is that
we desire, in what, if in anything, oui
purpose and our spirit differ from
| theirs; and I believe that the people
Of the United States would wish me
to respond with utter simplicity and
frankness, whether their present lead
| ers believe it or not, it is our heartfelt
desire and hope that some way may
be opened whereby we must be priv
legged to assist the people of Russia
! to obtain their utmost hope of liberty
and ordered peace.
| Secret Treaties Gone.
at will be our wish and purpose
| that the processes of peace, when they
are begun, shall be absolutely oper
and that they shall involve and per
NIT henceforth no secret understand
ing Of any kind. The day of conquest
and aggrandizement is gone by: so is
also the day of secret covenants en-
tered into in the interest of particular
governments and likely at some un
looked for moment to upset the peace
! of the world
ut is this happy fact. now clear tt
the view OF every public man whose
, thoughts do not still linger in an age
that is dead and gone. which makes
| it possible for every nation whose
purposes are consistent with justice
and the peace of the world to avow
now or any other time the objects II
has in view.
I'VE entered this war, because VIC
Iations of rights had occurred which
touched US to the quick and made the
life Of our own people impossible I'M
less they were corrected and the world
secured once for all against their re.
currence. What we demand in this
war. therefore is nothing peculiar to
ourselves 1t Is that the world be
made fit and safe to live in, and par.
| ticularly that it be made safe for ev-
cry peace loving nation. which. like
our own, wishes to live it's own life,
determine its own institutions, be
assured Of justice and fair dealing by
the other peoples OF world as against
force and selfish aggression. All the
peoples of the world are in effect part
ners in this interest and for our own
part, we see very clearly that unless
| Justice be done to others, it will not