The Benson signal., 1918-07-13

Wnlcn 10 aVOW, aIlke 10 the TrlenQS
who look on and to the friends with
whom we have the happiness to be as
sociated in action, the faith and 'pur-
pose with which we act
'ThiS then, is our conception of the
great struggle in which we are en-
gagged. The plot is written plain upon
every scene and every act of the su-
preme tragedy. On the one hand stand
the peoples of the world-not only the
peoples actually engaged. but many
others also who suffer under mastery
but cannot act; peoples of many races
and in every part of the world-the
people of stricken Russia still, among
the rest, though they are for the mo-
ment unorganized and helpless. Op-
posed to them, masters of many arm
les, stand an isolated, friendless group
of governments who speak no common
purpose but only selfish ambitions of
their own by which none can profit
but themselves, and whose peoples
which fear their people and yet are
for the time their sovereign lords, max
ing every choice for them and diSpOs-
ing of their lives and fortunes as they
will, as well as of the lives and for
tunes of every people who fall under
their power - governments clothed
with the strange trappings and the
primitive authority of an age that is
altogether alien and hostile to our
own. The past and the present are in
deadly grapple and the peoples Of the
world are being done to death between
them.
Settlement Must Be Final
"There can be but one issue. The
settlement must be final. There can
cision would be tolerable. No half
way decision is conceivable. These
are the ends for which the associated
peoples of the world are fighting and
which must be conceded them before
there can be peace: 1. The destruction
of every arbitrary power anywhere
that can separately, secretly and of it's
single choice disturb the peace of the
world; or, if it cannot be presently de-
strOyed, at the least its reduction to
virtual impotence.
"2. The settlement of every question,
whether of territory, of sovereignty, Of
economic arrangement, or of political
relationship, upon the basis of the free
acceptance of that settlement by the
people Immediately concerned, and not
upon the basis of the material interest
or advantage of any other nation or
people which may desire different
settlement for the sake of it's own ex-
terror influence or mastery.
':S. The consent of all nations to be
governed in their conduct towards
each other by the same principles of
honor and of respect for the common
law of civilized society that govern
the individual citizens of all modern
states in their relations with one an
other; to the end that all promises and
covenants may be sacredly observed, no
private plots or cOnspiracies hatched,
no selfish injuries wrought with impun-
ity, and mutual trust established
upon the handsome foundation of
mutual respect for right.
~. The establishment of an Organi-
zation of peace which shall make it
certain that the combined power of
free nations will check every invasion
Of right and serve to make peace and
justice the more secure by affording
definite tribunal Of opinion to which
all must submit and by which every
international readjustment that cannot
be amicably agreed upon by the peo-
pies directly concerned shall be sane
toned.
U. S. Can Never Be Crushed.
"These great objects can be put into
single sentence. What we seek Is
the reign of law, based upon the con-
sent of the governed and sustained by
the organized opinion Of mankind.
'"These great ends cannot be
achieved ty debating and seeking to
reconcile and accommodate what
statesmen may wish, with their prof.
ects for balances of power and Of na.
tional opportunity. They can be
reached only by the determination Of
what the thinking people of the world
desire with their longing hope for
Justice and for social freedom and op-
portunity.
II can fancy that the air of this
place carries the accents of such prin-
ciples with prouder kindness. Here
where started forces which the great
nation against which they were pri-
marily directed at first regarded as
revolt against its authority but which
has long since seen to have been a
step in the liberation of it's own peo-
pie as well as of the people of the
United States-and l stand here now
to speak, speak proudly and with con-
fident hope-0f the spread of this re-
volt, this liberation to the great state
of the world itself. The blinded rul-
ers of Prussia have aroused forces they
knew little Of-forces which, once
aroused, can never be crushed to earth