Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-10-03

eept the right of force?
Shall strong nations be free to wron,
weak nations and make them subiec
to their purpose and ipterestsA
Shall peoples be ruled and dominated
even in their own internal affairs. b,
arbitrary and irresponsible force or by
their own will and choice
Shall there be a Common standard Of
fight and privilege for all peoples and
nations, or shall the strong do as they
will and the weak suffer without re-
dress9
Shall the assertion of right be
haphazard and by casual alliance. or
shall there be a common concert to
oblige the observance of common
rights9
No man, no group of men, chose
these to be the issues of the struggle.
They are the issues of it; and they
must be settled-by no arrangement of
interests, but definitely and once for
all and with full and unequivocal
acceptance of the principle that the
interest of the weakest is as sacred as
the interest of the strongest.
This is what we mean when We speak
of permanent peace, if we speak sin
cerely, intelligently and wit. real
kn~wicdge and comprehension # .he
matter we deal with.
We are all agreed that there can
be no peace obtained by any kind of
bargain or compromise with the gov
ernments of the central empires be-
cause we have dealt with them already
and have seen them deal with other
governments that We're parties to this
struggle, at Brest Ltovsk and Buchar-
est. They have convinced us that they
are without honor and do not intend
justice. They observe no covenants,
accept no principles but force and their
own interest. We can not "come to
terms" with them. They have made it
impossible The German people must
by this time be fully aware that we
can not accept the word of those who
forced this war upon us. We do not
think the same thoughts or speak the
same language of agreement.
No Compromise on Principles
1t is Of capital Importance that we
should also be explicitly agreed that no
peace shall he obtained by any kind !
OF compromise or abatement of the |
principles we have avowed as the prin-
Ciples for which we are fighting. There ,
should exist no doubt about that. | am,
therefore, going to take the liberty of
speaking with the utmost frankness
about the practical implications that
are involved in it.
If it be indeed and in truth the com
mon object of the governments associat-
ed against Germany and the nations
whom they govern, as | believe it to
be, to achieve by the coming settle
ments a secure and lasting peace, it will
be necessary that all who sit down at
the peace table shall come ready and
willing to pay the price, the only price
that will procure it; and ready' and
willing, also, to create in some virile
fashion the only instrumentality by
which it can he made certain that the
agreements of the peace will be honor
ed and fulfilled.
That price is impartial justice in every
item of the settlement, no matter whose
interest is classed, and not only impair
tial iustice but also the satisfaction of
the several people whose fortunes are
dealt with. That indispensable nstru-
is a league of nations formed
under covenants that will be effica-
cious. Without such an instrumentality,
bv which the peace of the world can be
peace will rest in part up
IN the word of outlaws and only upon
that word. For Germany will have to
redeem her character, not by what hap
pens at the peace table, but by what fol
ows
And. as ! see it, the constitution OF
that league of nations and the clear
definition of its objects must be part
is in a sense the most ESSENTIAL part, OF
he peace settlement itself. 1t can
not be formed now. If formed now 1t
would be merely a new alliance con
fined to the nations associated against
common enemy. 1t is not likely that I
4 could be formed after guarantee OF
,eace; and the peace cannot be guarah-
ICED as an after thought. The reason, .
10 speak in plain terms again, why 1t I
must be guaranteed is that there will be
oarties to the peace whose promises
,ava proved untrustwOrthy, and means {
mist be found in connection with the j
,eace settlement itself to remove that !