Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-26
THE sLkV LANDS OF CENTRAL EUROPE.
MAP Showing Racial Distribution Proposed 6oundaries)
BY CLARENCE l.. SPEED

BY CLARENCE l.. SPEED
written for and Approved By the War
Committee Of the Union League club of
Chicago
The war is won The armi~tice Las
been signed. The German military
machine has been crushed The world
has been freed from the Immediate
threat Of German conquest or 5omna-
ton. The peoples of Europe and
America once more may breathe free
Is.
Nevertheless the greater part II the
task for which The allied nations Welr
fighting remains 70 be accomplished.
II must be accomplished at the peace
table. The delegates who sit there
must fix the terms Of lasting peace.
Unless they DO this All the sacrifices
In blood and treasure Of the United
States and the other nations which
fought autocrary will have been in
vain ana the world viii have to live
in constant fear Of future wars.
Must Establish Just Peace.
The task OF the diplomats is to es-
tablish "A peace which will come ~
near as possible TO doing absolute JUS
tiee To all the peoples concerned. In
So far as human wisdom will permit
che trainers Of the treaty must remove
the causes Of friction which brought
81 ,h. b,t IL oil
not have 10 live under the constant
menace Of future aggression. They
must rcadjust boundaries. not rs na-
tional pride or prejudice would die
tate, but on the basis of full justice
to the inhabitants OF the territories
involved. II they do not the world
war with all its misery and al It's
sacrifices will have been in vain.
The representatives ot the allie. ~
the peace conference will find many
obstacles in their way. Some Of these
viii come from the German side, the
diplomats ~ the central powers seek
ing always 70 retain as much aS pos
shle o' the unfair advantages their
governments had before the war and Of
me gains they made during the early
part W The struggle. Other obstacles
possibly the sreatest-moy come
from the conflicting aspirations Of The
nations which have fought on the Al.
lied side.
Compromises Are Likely
All Of these must he harmonized.
Compromises, no doubt will have to
be made in some instances but the
ends Of justice must always be Kept
first in mind. If this IS not done the
peace settlements viii be Hike
other settlements which have ended
wars In the past The rights Of PEG.
pies will be suhordnated to the desires
Of rulers and the treaty Of peace will
be only stepping stone 20 strife
The dastinies Of, roughly speaknc
hundred million persons who. at the
beginning Of the war, either had no
separate political rights or were tn
hahitants of nations so small as to have
little weight in European councils. must
be fixed around the peace table These
people are mostly Of Slavic stock
They embrace the Let's. LithnauIans
Poles. Czecho-SIoyaks, Little Russians
or ukrainians, Roumauians and Jugo-
Slays, including the heroic Serbians.
SaV Lands Suffer Much
All Of these lands shown on the map
above, have suffered cruelty from the
/ war-morc cruelty than during the
weary ages which preceded II. All
mast first be fed or their desperate
/ populations may be driven 70 anarchy.
All must be helped to establish order
and guided along the path Of self gov
eminent All must be given financial
+ ana economic assistance until they are
/ able to stand on their feet.
II this IS not done It IS certain that
all OF those lands Wll IN time, again
lnll into the clutches Of Germany. II