The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-07-11


spirits for its accomplishment. And
this Is the appropriate place from
which to avow, alike 10 the friends
who look on and to the friends witt,
whom we have the happiness to be as.
sociated In action. the fnith and pur
pose with which we act.
Hun Rulers Fear Own People.
This. then. Is our conception Of the
great struggle In which we are en-
gagged. The plot Is written plain upon
every scene and every act of the su
preine tragedy. On the one hand stanc
the peoples of the world-not only the
peoples actually engaged. but many
others also who suffer under mastery
but cannot aet peoples of many races
and In every part of the wOrld-the
people Of stricken Russia still. among
the rest, though they are for the mo
ment unorganized and helpless. OPP
posed to them. masters of many arm
les. stand an isolated, friendless group
of governments who speak no common
purpose but only selfish ambitions OF
their own by which none can profit
O0L thCAnoCiNCSp anu WhOSc Rt-OitCs
are fuel In their hands; governments
which fear their people and yet are
for the time their sovereign lords, max
ing every choice for them and dispos
ing of their lives and fortunes ns they
will. as well as of the lives and for
tunes of every people who fall under
their power : governments clothed
with the strange trappings and the
primitive authority of an age that is
altogether alien and hostile to OuI
own. The past and the present are In
deadly grapple and the peoples of the
world are being done to death between
them.
Settlement Must Be Final.
There can be but one issue The
settlement must be final. There can
be no compromise. No halfway de
cision would be tolerable. No half.
way decision is conceivable. These
are the ends for which the associated
peoples Of the world are fighting and
which must be conceded them before
there can be peace: l. The destruction
of every arbitrary power anywhere
that can separately, secretly and of Its
single choice disturb the peace of the
world; or, II 1t cannot be presently de
strOyed. at the least its reduction to
virtual impotence.
''2. The settlement of every question
whether of territory, of sovereignty, OF
economic arrangement. or of political
relationship upon the basis of the free
acceptance Of that settlement by the
people Immediately concerned, and not
upon the basis Of the material interest
people which may desire a different
settlement for the sake Of Its own ex-
terror influence or mastery.
''3. The consent Of all nations to be
governed In their conduct towards
each other by the same principles Of
honor and Of respect for the common
law of civilized society that govern
states In their relations with one an
other: to the end that all promises and
covenants may be sacredly observed. no
private plots or c0nspiracies hatched,
no selfish injuries wrought with impun-
.ity, and a mutual trust established
upon the handsome foundation Of a
mutual respect for right.
~. The establishment of an Organl
xation of peace which shall make II
certain that the combined power Of
free nations will check every invasion
Of right and serve to make peace and
justice the more secure by afrording .
definite tribunal Of opinion to which
all must submit and by which ever,
international readjustment that cannot
be amicably agreed upon by the peo
pies directly concerned shall be sane
toned.
y. .. Can Never d Crushed.
These great objects can be put into
a single sentence. What we seek Is
the reign Of law, based upon the con
sent Of the governed and sustained by
the organized opinion of mankind.
These great ends cannot be
reconcile and accommodate what
statesmen may wish, with their prof.
ects for balances of power and Of na-
tional opportunity. They can he
reached only by the determination Of
what the thinking people Of the world
desire with their longing hope for
Justice and for social freedom and op-
portunity.
II can fancy that the air of this
place carries the accents Of such prin-
ciples with a prouder kindness. Here
where started forces which the great
nation against which they were pri-
mprily directed at first regarded as a
revolt against its authority but which
las long since seen to have been
step in the liberation of its own peo-
pie as well as Of the people of the
United States-and I stand here now
to speak, speak proudly and with con-