Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-22

their willingness to renounce the terri.
tory their armies have occupied and
about selfdetermination of peoples,
But when it has come to the question
Of formal agreements in accordance
with their vocal assurances they have
shown themselves adopts at lodging.
The first point on which Germany
and the bolsheviki of Russia agreed
entirely and in arranging their arms
tice was that Germany should leave
her armies on the easter n front as
they were and refrain from transferring
them to the western front for her in
tended offensive against the allies.
Germany agreed to this provision,
but only after she had sent a million
or more men from one frontier to the
other. Even after making the agree
ment she continued to disregard it
openly by sending more and more
troops to the western front and to
Italy.
Ever since August II, 1914, when
the kaiser deliberately inaugurated
the greatest war in world history by
sending his hordes Of butchers across
the Belgian frontier to begin their
orgy of lustful destruction, Germany
has maintained a record unparalleled
in history since the days of baxbar'
Jana record not only for organized
and carefully planned inhumanity In
every vile form, but a record for dis
regard Of all the conventions and for
mantas on which the relations Of ma
tions, peoples and individuals have
o{p
the place Of chaos.
The kaiser's aim is the reenthrone-
ment of that chaos, indeed, with him.
self as the mbridled master spirit of
destruction and outlawry. He has
taken advantage of every single op-
portunity to prove this and has gior-
led in each successive shock he has
been able to indict on the worlds
sense Of prophecies.
OF what avail, then, can new Offers
Of peace agreement be II they come
from him or II they originate in the
vatican with tho thought that the
Hohenzollern government shall be
party to the proposed treaty? How
can the world depend on the solemn
pledge Of the kaiser when he has
broken every solemn pledge he or bis
predecessors ever made?
It il useless and Worse-for it is
inviting disaster-to temporize in tho
matter Of making war There has
been too much of that already In
America Germany's successes on the
battlefield have been the result of her
refusal to temporize or to exhibit even
the most fundamental OF human traits.
Americas astounding unpreparedness
and her even more astounding inabl-
tty to count even now as a fighting
force of major importance is due to
due to the pocifist strain
which has emasculated our war max
ing efforts, due to our failure to CEN
trali1e and organize the powers which
must be exerted if we are to snatch
victory from what at the present
stage of the conflict amounts to De-
caded military advantage for Germany.
England's premier is appealing for
recruits, and he will get them. Eng
land, down to the last individual ciu-
zen Is awake to the seriousness Of the
cricis. America IL in ruek Of con-
fusion and uncertainty. because Amer
ica listens 20 readily to each innuendo
dealing with possible friendly over.
ture by Germany.
We may az we'll get it firmly settled
in our minds that II peace is made
with the kaisers autocrattc govern
msnt SIN existing in Germany it win
not be lasting peace nor one which
can be counted anything but victory
for Germany. Regardless of the con
ditions that may be made there is al
ways the certainty that they WIN be
by Germany only SO long as
It is to Germany's advantage and the
kaiseTs advantage to observe them.