Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-02-21
HOW PEACE MUST COME

Says the kaiser: 1--WE ought to
bring peace to the world. We shall
seek in every way to do it. Such an
end was achieved yesterday In a
friendly manner with an enemy,
which, beaten by our armies, per-
ceives no reason for fighting longer
extends a hand to us and receives
our hand. We clasp hands. But he
who will not accept peace. but on
the contrary declines, pouring out
the blood Of his own and our people,
must be forced to have peace. We
desire to live in friendship with our
neighboring peoples, but the victory
of German arms must first be rec
ognized. Our troops under the great
Hindenburg will continue to win it,
Then peace will come"
While the kaiser was delivering
himself on this model of Prussianism
and hypocrisy, President Wilson was
giving to the world the true reQui-
sites of just and lasting peace. and
was serving notice upon the kaiser
and those who stand with him that
the United States will fight for such
a peace to the very end.
ITtSIucHt w llSOu
II would not be a true spokesman
of the people of the United States
il did not say once more that we
entered this war upon no small oc-
casion and that we never can turn
back from course chosen upon
principle. Our whole strength will
be put into this war of emancipa-
| tion-emancipation from the threat
and attempted mastery of selfish
groups Of autocratic rulers-what-
ever the difficulties and present par
tial delays. We are indomitable in
our power Of independent action and
can in no circumstance consent to
live in q world governed by intrigue
and force. We believe that our own
desire for a new International order
under which reason and justice and
the common interests of mankind
shall prevail, is the desire of enlight-
ened men everywhere. Without that
new order the world will be without
peace and human life will lack toll
cradle conditions of existence and de-
velopment. Having set our hand to
the task of achieving it, we shall not
turn back.
II hope that 1t is not necessary
for me TO add that no word of what
I have said is intended as a theat.
That is not the temper Of our people.
/ have spoken thus only that the
whole world may know the true
spirit of America-that men every
where may know our passion for JUS
tice and for self government is no
mere passion OF words but a passion,
which once set in action, must be
satisfied The power of the United
States is menace to no nation or
people. II will never be used in ag-
gression or for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
of any selfish interest of our own. 1t
springs out of freedom and Is for
the service of freedom"
The kaiser says bluntly what the
Chancellor Won Hertling says in a
more guarded way--that the peace
which Germany has been talking
about SO much of late is a peace
which involves the recognition of the
victory of German arms. President
Wilson showed this clearly in his adj
dress to congress recently. He anal
yzed the Won Hertling statement to
the last detail and when he had fin
ished there was nothing left of it
upon which to base any discussion
Of just peace. The kaiser's man
ifesto has only served to emphasize
the truth of the presidents conclus-
ions.
This self styled "peace-loving
kaiser, this unspeakable Prussian,
this blasphemous Hun, has at last
declared himself in unmistakable
terms for what he really is and what
he represents. This peace he prates
about will never come unless he sue
ceeds in beating down by military
force the whole Of the civilized
world. 1t would be in truth no peace
at all, but Prussian domination Of
the world. A true peace that will
be just and lasting can only come
with the overthrow. of Prussianism
and all that it stands for. The pres
ident has done we'll to reiterate that
the United States will fight to the
end. independently if necessary. to
secure such a peace.