Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-11
LLrowN, IOWA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY II, 1918

questions Of territory and sovereignty.
the several questions upon the accept
ance Of which must be settled by the
states at war, must be discussed sew
orally by the nations most Immediately
concerned by interest or neighborhood
He agrees that the seas should be free
but looks askance at any limitation to
that freedom by international action is
the interest Of the common order.
Demands Return Of Colonies.
eve would be glad to see economic
barriers between nations removed, for
that could not impede the ambitions
Of the military party. Neither does he
raise objection to the limitation OF
armaments. But the German colonies
he demands must be returned without
debate.
HE will discuss with no one but
the representatives Of Russia what dis
position shall be made with the peo-
pies and the lands of the Baltic prov
inces. with no one but the government
of France the conditions under which
French territory shall be evacuated.
and only with Austria what shall be
done with Poland.
'Tn determination OF all questions az
fecting the Balkan states he differs a.
understand, to Austria and Turkey;
and with regard to agreements to be
entered into with the non Turkish
peoples Of the Ottoman empire with
the Turks themselves. After a settle
msnt all around, effected in this fash
ion by individual barter and concession.
he would have no objection, II I cor
rectly interpret his statement to a
league Of nations, which would under
take to hold the new balance OF power
steady against external disturbances.
Suggestion 10 Impossible.
1T must be evident to every one
what this war has wrought and that
no peace worth the infinite sacrifices
of these years Of tragical suffering can
possibly be arrived at In any such
fashion. The method the German chan
cellor proposes is the method OF the
congress Of Vienna. We can not and
will not return to that. What Is at
stake now Is the peace Of the world.
What we are striving for Is new ma
tional order based on the principles OF
right and Justice, no nero peace Of
shreds and patches. Is it possible that
Count Won Hertling does not see that.
does not grasp II, is in fact living in
his thought in a world. dead and gone?
Has he utterly forgotten the reichstas
resolutions of the 18th Of July. or does
he deliberately ignore them? They
spoke Of the conditions Of a general
peace, not Of national aggrandizement
nor Of arrangement between state and
state.
Peace Must 30 Permanent.
X, of cource, do not mean that tho
peace of the world depends upon tho
acceptance Of any particular set Of
sas u. the way, in which
those problems are tosbe deait with. I
mean only each and all as they affect
the whole world; that unless they are
dealt with in a spirit of unselfishness
and unbiased Justice, with a view to
the wishes, the natural connections.
the racial aspirations. the security and
peace Of mind Of the peoples involved
no permanent peace will have been at
tanned. These can not be discussed
separately or in corners. None Of
them constitutes a@private or separate
interest from which the opinion Of the
world may be shut out. Whatever af-
fects the peace affects mankind and
nothing settled by military force, II
settled wrong Is settled at all. 1t will
presently have to be reopened.
rs Count Won Hertling not aware
that he is speaking in the court Of
mankind. that all the awakened ma
tions Of the world now sit in Judgment
on what every public man, of what
ever nation, may say on the issues Of
a conflict that has spread to every re-
gion Of the world? The reichstag res
olutions Of July themselves frankly
accepted the decisions Of that court.
There shall be no annexations, no con-
tributions, no punitive damages. Peo-
pies are not to be handed about from
one sovereignty to another by inter-
national conference or an understand
ing between rivals and antagonists.
National aspirations must be respect
ed, people may now be dominated and
governed only by their own consent
Self Determination Not Moro Phrase.
"Self-determination IL not mere
phrase. 1t is an imperative principle
of action. which statesmen will hence
forth 9gnore at their peril We can
not have general peace for the asking
or by the mere arrangements OF
peace conference. 1t can not be pieced
together out of understandings Of pow
erful states.
"All the parties Of this war must
be involved in the settlement of every
question, as we all seek a peace to be
maintained, and every item Of it must
be submitted to the common judgment
whether it be right and fair. p
"The United States has no desire to
interfere in European affairs or to act
as arbiter in European territorial dis
putes. We would disdain to take ad-
vantage Of any internal weakness or
disorder to impose her own will upon
another people. She is quito ready 20
be shown that the settlements she sug-
eested are not best or the most en-
during. They are only her own pro-
vlsional sketch Of principles and Of the
way which they should be employed.
Partners in Suffering.
"She was entered into the war be-
cause she was made partner In the
sufferings imposed by the military
masters of Germany against peace and
security Of mankind. and the conditions
Of peace will touch her as nearly as