The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-02-21

peace are not handled In Inc same
way as items in the final
| He cannot ask the benefit of common
agreement in the n field witnout
according it in the other.
II take it for granted that he sees
that separate peace and selfish COM
pacts with regard to trade and the
essential materials OF manufacture
would afford no foundation for peace.
Neither, he may rest assured, VIII
separate and selfish compacts with
regard to provinces and peoples.
cxernin Sees Clearly.
Count Czernin seems to see the
fundamental elements OF peace with
! clear eyes and does not seek to oD-
| scure them. He sees that an inde-
pendent Poland, made up Of all the
in~disputable Polish peoples who lie
| contiguous to one another, is a matter
| Of general concern, and, OF course,
must be conceded; that Belgium must
be evacuated and restored no matter
what sacrifices and concessions that
may involve, and that national aspf-
rations must be satisfied, even with
in his own empire, in the common in
terest of Europe and mankind.
IF he is silent about questions
which touch the interest and purpose
Of his allies more nearly h a they
touch those of Austria only 1t must
| of course be because he feels con-
strained, l suppose, to defer to Ger
many and Turkey in the circum-
| stances. . Seeing and conceding, as he
does, the essential principles In
volved and the necessity Of candidly
| applying them, he naturally feels that
Austria can respond to the purpose OF
| peace as expressed by the United
| States with less embarrassment than
| could Germany. He would probably
have gone much farther had 1t not
| been for the endorsements of Aus
tria's alliances and OF her depen-
dercy upon Germany.
After all, the test OF whether 1t
Is possible for either government TO
| go any further in this comparison OF
| views Is simple and obvious. The
principles to be applied are these:
First, that each part OF the final
settlement must be based upon the
essential justice of hat particular
case and upon such adjustments as
are most likely to bring a peace that
will be permanent.
Second, that peoples and provinces
are not to be battered about from
sovereignty to sovereignty as IL they
were mere chattels and pawns in a
| game, even the great game, now for
ever discredited, of balance Of pow
err; but that,
Third, every territorial settlement
involved In this war must be made
! 670-SPECIAL-THREE II A
in the interest and for the benefit
of the populations concerned, and
not as a part Of any mere adjust
ment or compromise OF claims
amongst rival states, and,
! Fourth, that all well-defined ma
tional aspirations shall be accorded
| the utmost satisfaction that can be
accorded them without introducing
new or perpetuating old elements OF
discord and antagonism that would
be likely in time to break the peace
Of Europe and consequently OF the
world.
Foundation for Peace.
"a general peace erected upon
such foundations can be discussed.
Until such a peace can be secured we
have no choice but to go on So far
as we a Judge, these principles
that We regard as fundamental are
already everywhere accepted as inn
perative except among the spokes-
men OF the military and annexationist
party in Germany. IL they have any
where else been rejected, the objec-
tors have not been sufficiently numer-
Gus or influential to make their voices
audible. The tragical circumstance is
that this n party In Germany is
apparently willing and able to send
millions of men to their death to pre-
vent what all the world now sees to
be just.
War of Emancipation.
81 would not be a true spokesman
Of the people of the United States IL
| did not say once more that we en-
tered their war upon no small occa-
sion, and hat we can never turn back
from a course chosen upon principle.
Our are in part modified
now, and we shall not pause until
they are modified In their entirety.
| Our armies are rapidly going to the
fighting front and will go more and
more rapidly. Our whole strength
will be put into this wal 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.
I'VE are indomitable in u power
Of independent action, and in no cir
cumstances consent to live In a 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 enlightened men every
where. Without that new order the
world will be without peace and HUI.
man life will lack tolerable conditions
of existence and development. Hay.
ing set our hand to the task OF
achieving It, we shall not turn back
=" hope that It is not necessary
for me to add that nc word of what
have said is intended as a threat
That is not the temper Of our people.
I have spoken thus only that the
whole world may know the true spirit
of America-that men everywhere
may know that our passion for jus
tice and for selfgovernment Is Nd
mere passion of words, but a pas
sion, which once set in action, must
be satisfied. The power of the Unit
Cd Cfofac ic a MANAGE IN M nation