New Britain herald., 1918-04-08

Of conquered provinces are invited to
be free under their dominion!
Are we not justified In believing
that they would do the same things
at their western front If they were
not there face to face with armies
whom even their countless divisions
can not overcome2 IT when they have
felt their check to be final. they
should propose favorable and equitable
terms with regard to Belgium and
France and Italy, could they blame US
of we concluded that they did so only
to assure themselves of u free hand In
Russia and the East?
Their purpose is undoubtedly to
make all the Slavic peoples. all the
free and mbitious nations Of the Bal
tic peninsula, all the lands that Tur-
key has dominated and misruled, sub
ject to their will and ambition and
build upon that dominion an empire
of force upon which they fancy that
they can then erect an empire of gain
and commercial supremacy an en-
pire as hostile to the Americas as to
the Europe which it will overawe--
an empire which will ultimately mas
ter Persia, India and the peoples of
the Far East. In such programme
our ideals, the ideals of justice and
humanity and liberty, the principle
of the free self determination of ma
tons 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 fol-
| low the flag, whether those to whom
| it is taken welcome it or not, that
| the peoples of the world are to be
! made subject to the patronage and
| overlordship Of those who have the
| power to enforce 1t.
THAT program once carried out
| America and all who care or dare TO
| stand with her must arm and pre-
| pare themselves to contest the mas
| terry 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
! underfoot and disregarded and the
| old, age long struggle for freedom
and right begin again at it's beginning.
| Everything that America has lived for
| and loved and grown great to vindi-
| cate and bring to a glorious realiza-
| ton Will have fallen in utter ruin and
| the gates Of mercy once more pitt
| lessly shut upon mankind!
THE thing is preposterous and i'm
| possible and yet is not that what the
| whole course and action of the Ger
| man armies has meant wherever they
! have mover? | do not wish, even in
| this moment of utter disillusionment,
| to Judge harsh1y or unrighteOuSly. [
| 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 my
| self I am ready, ready still, ready
even now, to discuss q 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 I
! proposed such a peace, came from the
| German commanders in Russia and L
| cannot mistake the meaning of the
| answer.
81 accept the challenge. I know that
You accept it. All the world shall
! know that YOU accept it. 1T shall APP
pear in the utter sacrifice and self
| forEetfuness with which we shall give
all that we love and all that we have
| to redeem the world and make it fit
| for free men like ourselves to live in.
| This now is the meaning of all that
we do. Let everything that we say,
my fellow countrymen, everything that
we henceforth plan and accomplish,
ring true to this response till the males
" and might of our concerted power
shall fill thought and utterly defeat the
force of those who tiOut and mis-
prize what we honor and hold dear.
| Germany has once more said that
force. and force alone, shall decide
| whether justice and peace shall reign
in the affairs of men, whether right
| as America conceives it or dominion
| as she conceives it shall determine the
| dest inies of mankind. There is there
fore but one response possible from
US: Force, force to the utmost. force
| without stint or limit the righteous
! and triumphant force which shall
| make right the law of the world and
= cast every selfish dominion down in
the dust.