The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-28
der the sea, were calling to us, and W responded, fiercely and of course.
 ISSUES ARE FACTS

der the sea, were calling to us, and we responded, fiereely and of course.
 ISSUES ARE FACTS 'The air was clear about us. We saw things in their full. convincing propor- tions as they were: and we have seen | them with steady eyes and unehanging comprehension ever since We accepted the issues of the war as facts, not as any group of men either here or else where had defined them, and we can &C., cept no outcome which does not squarely meet and settle them. Those issues are these:
 l Shall the military power of any na- tion or group of nations be suffered to determine the fortunes of peoples over whom they have no right to rule except the right of force?
 Shall strong nations be free to wrong weak nations and make them subject to tf cir purpose and interest?
 Shall peoples be ruled and dominated even in their own internal affairs, by arbitrary and irresponsible force or by their own will and choice?
 Shall there be common standard or right and privilege for all peoples and nations or shall the strong do as they will and the weak suffer without redress?
 Shall the assertion of right be hap- hazard and by casual alliance or shall there be common concert to oblige the observance of common rights? MUST ACCEPT PRINCIPLE "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 or com promise or adjustment of interests, but definitely and once for all and with a full and unequivocal acceptance of the principle that the interest of the weak est 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 with real knowledge and comprehension of the mat ter we deal with
 I've are all agreed that there can be no peace obtained by any kind of bar gain or compromise with the govern ments of the central empires, because we have dealt with them already and have seen them deal with other gov ernments that were parties to this strug- gle at Brest-Litovsk and Bucharest. They have convinced us that they are without honor and do not intend jus tice. They observe no covenants, ac- cept no principle but force and their own interest. We cannot come to terms with them. They have made it impos- sible The German people must by this time be fully aware that we cannot ac. cept 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 PEACE BY COMPROMISE
 Tt is of capital importance that we -J~z l~z hot x,n peace shall be obtained by any kind of compromise or abatement of the prin- ciples we have avowed as the principles for which we are fighting. There should exist no doubt about that. am, there fore going to take the liberty of speak ing with the utmost frankness about the practical implications that are involved in it.
 If it be in deed and in truth the common object of the governments as- sociated against Germany and of the nations whom they govern, as I believe it to be- to achieve by the coming set dement's 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 VI Tile fashion the only instrumentality by which it can be made certain that the agreements of the peace will be honored and fulfilled.
 IMPARTIAL JUSTICE PRICE
 That price is impartial justice in every item of the settlement, no mat ter whose interest is crossed; and not only impartial justice but also the sat isfaction of the several peoples whose fortunes are dealt with. That indispen- sable instrumentality is league of na- tions formed under covenants that Will be efficacious. Without such an instru- mentality, by which the peace of the world can be guaranteed, peace VIII rest in part upon the word of outlaws and only upon that word For Germany will have to redeem her character. not by what happens at the peace table but by what follows
 And, as I see it, the constitution of that league of nations and the clear defi- milton of it's objects must be part, is in sense the most essential part, or the peace settlement itselfs It cannot be formed now. If formed now it would be merely new alliance confined to the nations associated against common en- emy. It is not likely that it could pc formed after the settlement. It is neces- sary to guarantee the peace; and the peace cannot be guaranteed as an after thought. The reason, to speak in plain terms again, why it must be guaran- ,teed, is that there will be parties to the peace whose promises have proved untrustworthy, and means must pc Iound in connection with the peace settlement itself to remove that source of insecuri- ty It would be folly to leave the guar antee to the subsequent voluntary ac- ton of the governments we have seen destroy Russia and deceive Rumania.
 
 But these general terms do not dis close the whole matter. Some details are needed to make them sound less like thesis and more like practical programme These. then, are some of the particulars and I state them with the greater confidence because can state them authoritatively as represent ing this government's interpretation of it.; own duty with regard to peace:
 First. the impartial Justice meted out