Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-10-09

create III some NlTlie ldSllIOi NAS NAiAS
instrumentality by which 1t can be
made certain that the agreements OF
the peace will be honored and fulfilled.
THAT price is impartial justice In
every item of settlement, no matter
whose interest crossed; not only
impartial justice. but also the salts
faction Of the several peoples whose
fortunes are dealt with. That indis-
pensable fundamentally 10 a league
of nations formed under covenants
that will be efficacious.
without such fundamentally, by
which the peace Of the world can De
guaranteed, peace will rest In part
upon the word of outlaws and only
upon that word. For Germany VIII
have to redeem her character. not only
by what happens at the peace table
but what follows.
And. as / see 1t, the constitution
of that league of nations and the
clear definition of Its objects must be
a part, Is in a sense the most essen
tial part, of the peace settlement IT,
self. II cannot be formed now. liz
formed now, il would be merely new
alliance confined to the nations aSso-
ciated against a common enemy. II
is not likely that 1t could be formed
after that settlement.
1T is necessary TO guarantee the
peace, and the peace cannot be guar
anteed as an afterthought. The rea-
son, TO speak in plain terms again,
why IL must be guaranteed. is that
there will be parties to tie peace
whose promises have proved untrust-
worthy, and means must be found In
connection with the peace settlement
itself to remove that source of inse'
curity.
1T would be folly to leave the guar
antee to the subsequent voluntary ac-
ton OF the government we have seen
destroy Russia and deceive Roumania.
Particulars CT Terms.
"These, then are some of the par
ticulars, and | state them with the
greater confidence because l can state
them authoritatlvely as representing
this governments Interpretation Of
its own duty with regard to peace;
FIRST - The impartial justice
melted out must involve no discrimina-
ton between those TO whom we wish
to be just and those to whom we do
not wish to be just. Ii must be a jus-s
tice that plays no favoriteS and knows
no standard but the equal rights OF
the several peoples.
"SECOND-No special or separate
interest of any single nation or any
group of nations can be MADE the
basis of any part Of the settlement
which is not consistent with the COM
mon interest of all.
"THIRD-There can be no leagues
or alliances or special covenants and
understandings within the general and
common family of the league of ma
tions.
"FOURTH-And more specifically,
there can be no special. selfish. eco
nomic combination within the league
and no employment OF any force of
econom'c boycott for exclusion except
as the power of economic penalty by
exclusion from the markets of the
word may be vested in the league of
nations itself as a means Of discipline
and control
"FTFTH-All International agree
ments and treaties Of every kind must
be made known in their entirety to
the rest Of the world.
Special alliances and econmic rlv-
alries and hostilities Lave been the
prolific sources In the modern world
of the plans and passions that pro-
duce war. 1t would be an insincere
as well as insecure peace that did not
exclude them in definite and binding
terms
National purposes have fallen more
and more into the background and the
common purpose of enlightened man
kind has taken their place.
"Plain workaday people have de
manded almost every time they came
the leaders Of their governments de
clare to them plainly what it is--ex-
actly what II is-that they are seek
Ing In this war and what they think
the items Of the final settlement should
he
They are not yet satisfied with
what they nave been told. They still
seem 10 fear that they are getting
what they SAX for only In statesmen's
terms-only in the terms Of territorial
arrangements and the divisions of
power and not in terms of broad vision.
Justice and mercy and peace and the
satisfaction of those deep-seated long
ings of oppressed aud distracted men
and women and enslaved peoples that
seem TO them the only things worth
fighting a war for that engulfs the
world.
But l. for one, am glad To attempt
the answer again and again In the
hone that | may make II clearer that
my one thought is to satisfy those who
struggle in the ranks and are. perhaps
above all others entitled TO a reply
whose meaning no one can have any
excuse for misunderstanding IL he I'M
4, rstands the language In which II is
spoken or can get some one to trans
late II correctly into his own
"'Peace drives can he effectively
utilized and silenced only by showing
taut every victory of the nations aSSO-
ciated against Germany brings the ma
tions nearer the sort of peace which
will bring security and reinsurance to
nil peoples and make the recurrence OF