Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-09
WORTHY or OURTRADlTfONS

Tho address delivered ~yesterday by President VIII
son Is worthy Of the best traditions Of the4 republic, and
OF the place which It will occupy In the remarkable
series Of ofhcial utterances which have come from him
since the beginning Of the war. Upon no other Ameri-
can president. With the possible exception Of Lincoln,
has there been imposed such q tremendous responsibility
with reference to his sutterances ~ has rested upon
President Wilson in his dealings with the world crisis in
which we are involved; and certainly no president other
with those Of President Wilson in tineliness, forceful-
ness and lofty idealism.
The present address was called forth by the events
in Europe Of which the collapse Of Russian military ef.
fectfveness and the essays made toward peace between
Russia and Germany were the most important features.
The annual address OF the president at the opening OF
congress had a direct bearing on the European situauon.
The address delivered by the British premier last week
was a part Of the Allied program. Now comes 4 further
statement from the president Of 1.-THE United States, OK
pressing concurrence IN, what his great associate had
said. and presenting a further elaboration Of the subjec4
1t is needless to summarize TIE fourteen proposi-
lions which the President lays down az essential to
peace. The address itself states these propositions so
concisely that no further summary is necessary. But 1t
is important to note that neither in this address, in tho
address Of Lloyd George, nor in the statements which
have been made by responsible men in France and Italy
has there been the slightest deviation from the great
principle WHICH W3 ldld GOWN long ago and Wnlch mas
been steadfastly adhered to. the principle which is SO
admirably restated as 1.-The principle Of justice to all
peoples and nationalities. and their right to live on equal
terms Of safety with one another, whether they be strong
or weak. -
That is the unceasing purpose which runs Though
all the discussions, by our own President and bys the
accredited spokesman Of the nations associated with US
in the great enterprise of this war. 1t is the purpose
upon which every program Of peace must be based. and
for the accomplishment Of which we are prepared to
fight until the end. ~ ~
The present address is obviously intended to innu~
ence sentiment in Russia. 1t is difficult to see how, If
intended, for its manifest sincerity, >liberalty and to!er-
ance, as we'll as its spirit of unfaltering determination IS
most impressive And its appeal ito the liberal spirit IN
Germany is equally impressive. ~
Yet it must be understood that this is a war mess
age, and not a peace MESA &c. Whatever may be the
relations between the German government and the Ger
man people, we are dealing today, not with a Germany
DESTROYS of joining with the other nations in establish
ing peace upon the sure foundation of ordered liberty,
but with a Germany armed and alert, defiant and unre-
pentant, ambitious and irreconcillable: and, while our
principles have been enunciated and our program made
public, our present mission is not to negotiate with the
enemy, but to whip him into a state Of willingness to
listen to reason. That is the job that is before us, and
we must direct every energy to the accomplishment Of
that task. ~ ~ t