American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-04-12


be free under their dominion.
Our Armies Stop Them.
Are we not justived in believing
that they would do the same things
az their western front if it were not
for the fact that armies are there
whom even their countless divisions
can not overcome? II, when they
have felt their check to be final, they
should propose favorable and equit-
able terms with regard to Belgium ana
France and Italy, could they blame
us if we concluded that they did so
only to assure themselves of a free
hand in Russia and the east?
Their purpose undoubtedly is to
make all the Slavic peoples, all the
free and ambitious nations of the Bal
tic peninsula, all the lands that Tur-
key has dominated and misruled, sub
ject to their will and ambition and to
build upon that dominion an empire
Of force upon which they fancy they
can then erect an empire OF gain and
commercial supremacy-an empire as
hostile to America as to Europe which
it will overawe-an empire which will
ultimately master Persia, India. and
the peoples of the far east
Our Ideals Rejected.
I'm such a program our ideals, the
ideals of justice and humanity and
liberty, the ideal of the free self
determination of nations upon which
all the modern world insists. can play
no part. They are rejected for the
! ideals of power; for the principle that
the strong must rule the weak, that
trade must follow the flag, whether
] fo Npb Z i- oil Z
or not, that the peoples of the world
are to be made subject to the patron
age and overlordship of those who
have the power to enforce it.
That program once carried out,
America and all who care or dare to
stand with her must arm and prepare
themselves to contest the mastery of
the world. a mastery in which the
rights of common men, the rights of
women, and of all who are weak, must,
for the time being. be trodden under
foot and disregarded. and the old age
long struggle for freedom and right
begin again at its beginning.
Everything that America has lived
for and loved and grown great to vim
dicate and bring to a glorious realiza-
tiOn will have fallen in utter ruin and
the gates of mercy once more pitiless-
ly shut upon mankind
The thing is preposterous and i'm
possible And yet is not that what
the whole course and action of the
German armies has meant wherever
they have moved? l do not wish,
even in this moment of utter dis
lillusiOnment to judge harshly or un-
righteously l judge only what the
German arms have accomplished with
Implying thoroughness throughout
every fair region they have touched.
What. then. are we TO do?
For myself am ready. ready still.
ready even now, to discuss a fair and
Just and honest peace at any time that
it is sincerely prOposed-a peace in
which the strong and the weak shall
fare alike. but the answer. when
proDosed peace. came from the Ger
man commanders in Russia. and
cannot mistake the meaning of the
answer.
Il accept the challenge.
"I know that you accept it. All the
+ world shall know that you accept it
1T shall appear in the utter sacri-
. flee and self-forgetfulness with which
+ we shall give all that we love and all
{ that we have to redeem the world and
make il fit for free men like our
selves to live in. This is the mean
/ ing of all that we do.
{ Let everything that we say, my fel
low cOuntrymen. everything that We
e henceforth plan and accomplish. rims
! true to this response. until the majest!
e and might Of our concerted power
4 shall fill the thought and utterly de
- feat the force of those who flout ant
misprize what we honor and hole
70 dear.
= Germany has once more said tina
r force. and force alone, shall decide
h whether Justice and peace shall reigl
e in the affairs of men. whether righ
J. as America conceives it, or dominion
d as she conceives it. shall determine
l. the destinies of mankind.
V There is. therefore. but one re
!. sponse possible from US:
Force, force to the utmost. fore
e without stint or limit, that righteOu
e and triumphant force which shal
# make the law OF the world. and cas-
Z. every selfish dominion down in tn
l. dusti"
II NOTICE.