Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-07

key has dominated and misruled. sub
| jet to their viii 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 empire
as hostile TO the Americas as to the
! Europe which IL will overawe: an en-
| pirc which will ultimately master Per
STA. India and The peoples OF the Far
East.
I'm such II program our ideals. the
| ideals Of Justice and humanity and lib
crty. tn eprinciplc OF tho free self
determination of nations, upon which
all the modern world insists. can play
no part. They arc rejected for the
ideals OF power. for the principle tina;
the strong must rule the weak, that
trade must follow the flag, whether
those TO whom it is taken welcome it
or not. that the peoples of the world
arc to no made subject to tho pat
ronage and ovcr1ordship of those who
have the power To enforce it,
THAT program once carried out
America and all who care or dare to
stand with her must arm and prepare
themselves to contest the mastery 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 troddcn unscr-
foot and disrcGarded, and the oil,
age-lonG struggle for freedom and
right begin again at It's beginning.
Everything that America mas lived for
and loved and grown great to rindi-
cate and bring to II 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 ia not that what
the whole course and action OF the
German armies has meant wherever
they have moved? I do not wish, even
in this moment OF utter disillusion-
mcnt. to judge harshly or unright-
cously. Judge only what the Ger
man arms have accomplished with un-
plying thoroughness throughout every
fair region they have touched.
PRESIDENT READY TO DISCUSS
FAIR AND HONEST PEACE
What. then, are we to do? For
myself. l am ready, ready still. ready
even now, 20 discuss Il fair and just and
honest peace at any time that It is
sincerely proposed--n peace in which
tho strong and the weak shall fare
alike. But the answer, when I pro-
posed such pace. came from the
German commanders in Russia and |
cannot mistake the meaning OF tho
answer.
II accept the challenge. know that
| you accept It. All the world shall
| know that you accept It, II shall APP
pear in the utter sacrifice and self
| forgctfulncss with which We shall give
all that VIC love and nil that VIC have
! TO redeem the world and make IL fit for
| free men like ourselves TO live IN
This now is the meaning OF all that
wo do. Let everything that We say,
| my fellow countrymen, everything that
we henceforth plan and accomplish.
ring true to this response till tho
power shall fill the thought and utterly
defeat the force OF those who nout
and misprise what we honor and hold
dear. Germany has once more said
that force and force alone. shall de-
eide whether justice and peace shall
| reign in the affairs OF men. whether
right rs America conccivcs it or do
minion as she conceives il shall de-
| terininc the destinies OF mank ind.
! There is. therefore hut one response
| possible from u.s. Force force to the
utmost; force without stint or limit:
| the righteous anu triumphant force
world and cast every selfish dominion
! down to dust"