East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-04-18

| secretIy Planned TO dominate the Woftoj
| proceeded to carry out the plan without
! regard either to the sacred obligations
o. treaty or the iong. g.estsbllshed prae-
tices and long; ;eherlshed principles Of n.
power Is not the 1.s German nam people. II is
the ruthless master Of the German peo-
| It that the history Of the rest Of the
world Is no longer left to It's handling"
President Wilson, August 27, 1917.
WE FIGHT FOR GOOD FAITH
"The faith of treaties is the only
solid foundation on which a Temple
Of Peace can be built up" (James
Bryce) Good faith between nations,
as betWeen men, is the one and only
safeguard from a return to barbarism
Without 1t brute force, sheer might,
must rule. Without it there is no
security in human relations-no Sc.
curity, even, for life itself. To keep
ones word, when once given, that is
the evidence of the progress of civ.
ilization, and the test of it.
Hence the case of Belgium becomes
the single greatest German offense
against civilization in this war. At
first, in our American ignorance of
world conditions, we did not see this.
We do see it now; more and more we
realize that until the crime against
Belgium is atoned for, there can be
no peace, and no hope of a world
at peace.
What the the facts? BY treaties
signed in 1915, and again in 1881, and
still again in 1889, this last revision
being in effect In 1914, 1t was agreed
In
neutral state. The five powers guar
antee to 1t this perpetual neutrality
as also the inviolability of its ter.
ritory." These five powers were Aus.
tria, France, Great Britain, Russia
and Prussia. By such treaties the
neutral state was pledged to defend
in arms the neutrality of its terri.
tory; and each of the great powers
pledged itself not only not to march
troops into or through the neutral
state, but also to aid her, in case
her territory were violated.
The world. thinking no nation so
base as to break its word, was COM
pletely taken by surprise by the at
tack On Belgium. But we know now.
from German statements. that German
military plans had for years intended
to break this pledge. German rulers
lied as to this consistently, and led
up to the last day. On the morning
before the German troops advanced
the German minister assured Belgium
she need feel no alarm, and in the
evening of that same day he delivered
his ultimatum.
The world has never seen so com
plete a denial of the binding effect
of the pledged word. Why has Ger
many so lost sight of the principle
of honor among nations? Her own
answer reveals the cause; it is again
the plea of might. THE fate that Bel
GUM has called down upon herself
mote the hypocrisy of this) is hard |
but not too hard. for the
destinies of the immortal great ma. /
tions stand so high that they can
not but have the right, in case OF
need, to stride over existencies that |
can not defend themselves" (Pro /
fessor Oncken.) When the British /
Minister at Berlin notified the Ger /
man Chancellor that Great Britain /
was in honor bound to defend Bel I
GUMS neutrality, the latter argued |
that this was Terrible" a war Just
for a word-'neutrality'- for a
scrap of paper" The pitiful-yeS, the
terrible-Si0nifcdnc Of such utter
GHceS. is that Germans believe them
Justified.
"If l am asked what we are fight
Ing for" said Prime Minister AS ;
quith, 81 can reply in two sentences.
In the first place. TO fulfill an obliga-
tion not only of law, but OF
honor, which no self-respecting man
could possibly have repudiated; sec
ondly, to vindicate the principle II
that small nationalities are not to be
crushed, in defiance OF international
good faith"
America was not a direct guarantor,
like Great Britain, OF the neutrality \
Of Belgium. though in various con
ventions (of which Germany also was ;
\ signer) we pledged to the main Z
.enance of the world principle Of good i
faith" But every nation was attacked
when Germany broke faith. "The Law {
protecting Belgium which was VIC 1
lated was our law and the law OF '
every other civilized country. II
was our safeguard against the neces-
sity OF maintaining great armaments.
Dur interest in having il maintained ,
IS the IdD Of nations tods Su5Stdn.
ii0I. UdludbIe, permanent interest" n
(Elihu RootO
In the hope Of an enduring peace, In
he hope Of an advancing civilization,
We can not forget Belgium. In the
hope for unmolested self-development
N the sense of our own security nee
sssary to progress, we must not forget
Belgium, until her wrongs are righted
This is the seventh Of a series Of
len articles by Professor Adams.
Steady! The high heart never Is