Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-11
to suggest to her any alteration or
modification of her institutions.
SEES ENEMY'S DIVISION.

SEES ENEMY'S DIVISION.
But it is necessary, we must frank
~ say, and necessary as preliminary
to any intelligent dealings with her
on our part, that we should KNOW
whom her spokesman speak for when
they speak to us. whether for the
German reichstag majority or Tor he
military party and the men whose
creed is imperial domination"
The president made clear at the out
set that, the German statesmen having
again challenged their adversar1es TO
re-statement of war aims, he under.
took to respond to it with the utmost
candor. He referred to the British
premiers declaration as having been
spoken with admirable candor and In
admirable spirit for the people and
government of Great Britain"
ONLY HUNS ARE SECRETlvE.
1.-THE only secrecy of counsel" he
added, 1.-THE only lack Of fearless
frankness, the only failure to make
statement of the objects Of the war,
lies with Germany and her allies
The voice of the Russian people,
PROSTATE and all but helpless, with
her apparently shattered, but souls not
subservient, calls for statement OF
aims and, the president added, he re.
sponded with utter simplicity and
frankness."
The president occupied just twenty.
three minutes in delivering his ad'
dress. Each statement of the program
was greeted with some applause and
there was no division of approval ap
parent between the parties.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
| The president spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the congress: Once
more, as repeatedly before the
spokesmen of the central empires
have indicated their desire to discuss
the objects of the war and the pos
sible basis of a general peace. Parleys
have been in progress at Brest-Litovsk
between Russian representatives and
Representatives of the central powers
to which the attention of all the bel
|ligerents has been invited for the pur-
pose of asceraining whether it may
be possible to extend these parleys
into a general conference with regard
to terms OF peace and settlement.
RUSSIAN OFFER FAIR.
"The Russian representatives pre-
scented not only a perfectly definite
statement of the principles upon
which they would be willing to con.
clude peace but also an equally def
mite program of the concrete applica.
ton of those principles.
HUN TRickERY EXPOSED.
"The representatives Of the central
powers on their part presented an
outline of settlement which, IL much
less definite, seemed susceptible OF
liberal Interpretation until their spe.
cific program Of practical terms was
added. That program proposed no
concessions at all, either to sovereign.
ty of Russia or to the preferences OF
the population with whose fortunes IT
dealt but meant, in word, that the
central empires were to keep every
foot of territory their armed forces
had occupied-every province. every
city, every point of vantage-as a per-
manent addition to their territories
and their power.
SEES DIVISION IN GERMANY.
at is reasonable conjecture that the
they at first suggested originated with
the more liberal statesmen of Ger
many and Austria. the men who have
begun to feel the force Of their own
peoples thought and purpose, while
the concrete terms of actual settle
ment came from the military leaders
who have no thought but to keep
what they have got.
1.-THE negotiations have been broken
off. The Russian representatives
were sincere and in earnest. They
can not entertain such proposals OF
conquest and, domination. ..
TEUTON VIEWS DIFFER.
"The whole incident is full of sig
nificance. 1t is also full of perplexity
With whom are the Russian represent
atives dealing? For whom are the rep
resentatives of the central empires
speaking? Are they speaking for the
majorities of their respective parlia
ments or. for the minority parties
that military and imperialistic minor.
ity which has so far dominated their
whole policy and controlled the affairs
of Turkey and of the Balkan states
which have felt obliged to become
their associates in this war?
1.-The Russian representatives have
insisted very justly. very wisely, and
in the true spirit Of democracy, that
the conferences they have been hold
ing with the Teutonic and Turkish
statesmen should be held in the open
not behind closed doors, and all the
world has been the audience, as was
desired. ''''''r'''''
"WHo SPEAKS FOR ENEMY"
ITO whom have we been listening
then? To those who speak the spirit
and intention of the resolutions oil
the German reichstag of the ninth OF
last July. the spirit and intention oil
the liberal leaders and parties of Ger
many, or to those who resist and DEFY
that spirit and intention and insist
upon conquest and subjugation? Or
are we listening in fact to both. unrec
onciled and in open and hopeless con
tradiction?
These are very serious and preg
nant questions. Upon the answer tc
them depends the peace Of the world
ANSWERS ENEMY CHALLENGE.
But whatever the results OF the
parleys at Brest-Litovsk, whatever
the confusions of counsel and of pur
pose in the utterances of the spokes
NOV, hoy