Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-11-22
FRIDAY, NOV. %, 1918.
AROUND THE PEACE TABLE

A ND now that the greatest war the world has
ever known is over, the attention Of the entire
civilized world is directed towards the coming
peace conference, when the settlement will be ar
rived at, and steps taken to insure that like crime
shall never be repeated as long of the foundations
of the world stand. Momentous and weighty, for
truth are the questions to be considered and adj
Indicated 1t is task which will call for the best
brains of all the principal nations-pa particularly
those who were arrayed against Germany and her
allies and Americas duty in this respect will be
one Of the gravest. For Americas participation
and deciding pressure in the conflict was more
nearly prompted by desire for justice and the
general good of the race stripped of selfish inter
est, than any of the rest and today she stands re-
vealed not only as the greatest nation on earth
but also as the friend of all deserving humanity.
In the deliberations soon to be undertaken at
the peace table in France the same unselfish spir-
it and singleness of purpose which has character
lied our participation in the struggle must be up
held and maintained inviolate; and at the same
time we must guard well every avenue for the
possible recurrence of like catastrophe and must
wthal insist upon justice and retribution where it
is due, yet not being actuated by any of the baser
instincts, such as revenge. In other words we
should seek to follow the injunction of the Master
given to his apostles, wherein He said "Be We
therefore wise serpents, but harmless as doves
So long as any of the old governing regime remains
there will be no end of attempts to dcker and de-
ceive in order to escape the rghtful consequences
OF their lawless acts There will be subterfuge
deception and intrigue, and the ever pdesent plea
for sympathy. So that to arrive at Just and
rational decision-one which must appeal to the
Innermost consciousness of the culprit as being
just and right as well as to the injured calls for
calm unimpationed judgment and clear concep-
ton of right and wrong.
1t is fitting that the President should himself
be a member of the delegation from this country
for his personal views on many of the vital issues
involved are sound and should obtain expression
at the peace table, And there should be other able
representatives, for it is too big subject to be
entrusted to any one man. There should be one
or more trained legal minds included in our dele
cation, and in order that our American institutions
and scale of wages and plane of living may not be
placed on a level with Europe and ASIA there
ought to be one or more men in whom is thorough
ly grounded those vital principles of protection
for American industries, as there will undoubtedly
be an attempt at the conference to foster such
collation. between nations as will practically oblit-
crate boundary lines and approach the common
table and common wages for working classes. At
any rate, we may depend that England and other
european naClonS VIII seek TO OBTAIN the Tree en-
try of their goods to this country terms of rec
procity, which would amount to the same thing.
We regret to note that eX-President William
Howard Taft, who was mentioned as a possible
member Of the commission has been eliminated.
Taft is of calm, deliberate judgment, has
a good legal mind, and certainly has had ample
experience in craftsmanship. From every stand
point he seems to be fitted for the task, and his
loyal support of the administration during the war
made the report that he was to be named as a
member of the commission from the United States
appear logical We trust that the President is
not intending to apply the same measure of fit
ness to his selections for the peace conference that
characterized his appeal to the voters on the eve
of the election, for we believe that there is need
for our very best men, regardless of politics.