Meade County news., 1918-01-17
An Answer to Germany.

The President spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress: Once
more, as repeatedly before, the spokes-
men of the Central Empires have in
dicated their desire to discuss the OBJ
jects of the war and the possible basis
Of general peace.
'Parleys have been in progress at
Brest-Litovsk between Russian repre-
sentatives and representatives of the
Central Powers, to which the atten-
tion of all the belligerents has been
invited, for the purpose Of ascertain
ing whether it may be possible to
extend these parleys into general
conference with regard to terms Of
peace and settlement.
"The Russian representatives pre-
sented not only a perfectly definite
statement of the principles upon which
they would be willing to conclude
peace, but also an equally definite pro-
gram of the concrete application of
those principles.
"The representatives of the Central
Powers, on their part, presented an
outline of settlement which, If much
less definite, seemed susceptible of
liberal Interpretation under their spe-
cific program of practical terms was
added. =
German People Have No Voice.
"The whole incident is full Of signi-
ficance. 1t is also full Of perplexity.
with whom are the Russian repre-
sentatives dealing?
For whom are the representatives
Of the Central Empire speaking?
Are they speaking for the major
ities of theif respective parliaments
or for the minority parties, that mill
tary and imperialistic minority which
has so far dominated their whole pol
icy and controlled the affairs of Tur-
key and of the Balkan states which
have felt obliged to become their as
sociates in this war?
"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 within open,
not closed, doors, and all the world
has been audience to both unrecon-
ciled and in open and hopeless con-
tradiction. These are very serious
and pregnant questions. Upon the an
swer to them depends the peace of
the world.
Challenge Answered With Candor.
"But whatever the result Of the par
leys at Brest-Litovsk, whatever the
conclusions of counsel and Of purpose
in the utterances of the spokesmen of
4ho NaptroI pnnirae thaU hova again
attempted to acquaint the world with
their objects in the war and have
again challenged their adversaries to
say what their objects are and what
sort of settlement they would deem
Just and satisfactory.
"There is no good reason why that
challenge should not be responded to
and responded to with the utmost
candor We did not wait for it, Not
once, but again and again, we have
laid our whole thought and purpose be-
fore the world, not in general terms
only, but each time with sufficient
definition to make 1t clear what sort
of definitive terms of settlement must
necessarily spring out Of them.
Germany Fears to Be Frank.
"Within the last week Mr.. Lloyd
George has spoken with admirable
candor and in admirable spirit for the
people and government of Great Bri-
tain. There is no confusion of coun-
sci among the adversaries of the Cen
trail Powers, no uncertainty of prin-
ciple, no vagueness of detail. The only
secrecy of counsel, the only lack of
fearless frankness, the only failure to
make definite statement of the OBJ
jects of the war, lies with Germany
and her allies. The issues Of life and
death hang upon these definitions. No
statesman who has the least concep-
tion of his responsibility ought for a
moment to permit himself to continue
this tragical and appalling outpouring
of blood and treasure unless he is
sure beyond a peradventure that the
objects of the vital sacrifice are part
and parcel Of the very life Of society
and that the people for whom he
speaks think them right and impera
tive as he does.
Russia's Voice Thrills the World.
There Is, moreover, voice calling
for these definitions Of principles and
of purposes, which, 1t seems to me,
more thrilling and more compelling
than any of the many moving voices
with which the troubled air of the
The average millionaire knows how
L.. g. L. tal, A,.k -