Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-28

itself as q mea of discipline n
control;
Fifth. All International agree.
ments and treaties of every kind
must be made known in their en-
tirety to the rest of the world
'%entangling alliances with full compre-
hension and an answering purpose. But
only special and limited alliaces entan-
gle: and we recognize II accept the
duty which will avoid arrangements
and clear the air OF the world for COM
mon understandings and the mainc-
nance of common rights.
Il have made this analysis Of the in
ternational situation which the wal has
created. not, OF course, because | doubt
cd whether tile leaders of the great ma
tons and peoples with whom We are
associated were of the same mind and
entertained a like purpose. but because
the air every o and again gets dark
ened by miss and groundless doubtings
and mischievous perversion of counsel,
and it is necessary once and again to
sweep all the irresponsible talk about
peace intrigues and weakening MORALS
and doubtful purpose ON the par: of
those in authority utterly, and IL need be
uncercmoniously, aside n say things in
the plainest words that can be found,
even when it is only to say over again
what has been said before. quite as
plainly If in less unvarnished terms.
Happy to Fight for Issues
"As l have said. neither | nor my
other man in governmental authority
created or gave form to the issues of
This war. l have simply responded to
them with such a vision as I could COM
mand. But I ave responded gladly
and with a resolution that has grown
warmer and more confident as the issues
have grown clearer n clearer. II is
now plain that they are issues which
no man can pervert unless it be wilfully.
I am bound to fight for them and happy
TO light for them as time and circum-
stances have revealed them to me as to
all the world. Our enthusiasm for them
grows more and more irresistible as
they stand out more and more vivid
and un~mistahleable outline.
"And the forces that fight for them
drawn into closer anc closer array, Or
ganize their millions into more and more
~unconquerable might. as they become
more and more distinct to tn thought
and purpose of the peoples engaged. 1t
is the popularity of this great war that
while statemen have seemed to cast
about for definition Of stheir purpose
and have sometimes seemed to shift their
ground and their point of view, the
thought Of the mass of men. whom
statesmen are supposed to instruct and
lead. has grown more and more UNI
clouded. more and more certain of what
it is that they are fighting for.
Not n Statesmen's War
National purposes have fallen more
and more into the background and the
common purpose OF enlightened mankind
has taken their place. The ~counsels OF
men have become on all hands more
simple and straightforward and more
unified that the counsels of sophisticated
men of affairs. who still retain the inn
preston that they are playing a game OF
power and playing for high stakes. That
Is why l have said hat this is al peo-
pies war. not a statcsmen's. States
men must follow the clarified common
thought or be broken.
II take that to be the significance OF
the fact that assemblies and associations
OF many kinds. made up of plain work
day people, ave demanded, almost every
time they came together. and are still
demanding, that the leaders of their
Governments declare to them plainly
what IL is, exactly what 1t is, that they
were seeking in his war and what they
think the items of the final settlement
should be. They are not yet satisfied
with what they have been told. They
still seem to fear that they are getting
what they ask for only in statesmen's
terms-only in the terms Of territorial
arrangements and divisions Of power
and not in terms of broad-visioned jus,
tice and mercy n peace and the satis.
faction of those deepseated longings Of
oppressed and distracted men and womer
and enslayed peoples that seem to then
the only things worth fighting n wal
for that engulfs the world. Perhaps
statesmen have not always recognized
this changed aspect Of the whole worlt
of policy and action. Perhaps they hay,
not always spoken in direct reply to Tho
questions asked because they did no
know how searching those question,
were and what sort of answers they de,
msnded.
Unity of Purpose Necessary
But, I for one, am glad to attempt
the answer again and again, In the hopt
N esAe' fhfn ~ Atolt dAu tltdlt
that my one thought is to satisfy thos,
who strugele in the ranks and arc. per,
haps above all others, entitled to a reply
whose meaning no one can have any
excuse for MISUNDERSTANDING. Il h,
understands the language in which it /.
spoken or can get some one to translate
1t correctly into his cwn. And / be,
lieve that the leaders of the govern
ments with which we are associated vii
speak. as they have occasion, as piainl,
as I ave tried to speak. I hope tina
they will feel free TO say whether the,
think that I am IN any degree nistaker
in my Interpretation OF the issues In
VOWED or in my purpose with regard I,
the means by which a satisfactory set
Element of those issues may be obtained
Unity OF purpose and OF counsel ar,
as imperatiNely ncessary In this wa.
as was unity OF command in the bat
tleield, and with perfect unity OF par
pose and counsel will come assurance o
complete victory. Ii can be had In n,
other way. Peace drives can be ef
fectively u~eutralixed and silenced. onL