The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-04-24

the question as to the real nature o
the State, an issue which Presiden
Wilson has so successfully brought tt
the front in his many splendid ut
terances. Is the State moral or {
physical being?
President Wilson insists that the
State is a moral entity and subject tt
moral law. The aim of the war, sc
far as the United States is concern
ed. is to establish this proposition. Ev.
cry other statement in regard to the
moral aims of the war stands or falls
with this one. II the State Is what
Germany claims, then her course Is
beyond reproach. If the State Is q
moral entity then she stands con-
demned at the bar of moral law and
moral judgment, as the most out
rageous criminal nation in history
IF then the State is moral being
what are some of the principal items
of the moral law which it should fol-
low?
|. 1.-THE State must be honest, il
must tell the truth, it must be sincere
and straightforward. Lies, spies, in
trigue, fraud, treaties to be broken
at will, are an abomination to the
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
2. Nations are neighbors, men,
bers of the great human family. They
must be neighborly.
3. Nations must not steal nor rob
nor cultivate the spirit of coverteous-
ness which leads to such deeds. These
things are as reprehensible-as
wrong for nation as they are for
an individual.
4. Nations must be unselflsh, GO
erous, helpful, self-sacrificing They
should enter into cooperative rela-
tons for mutual profit, rather than in
to relations of destructive competition
and rivalry. In this great war Amer
icas, unselfsh and self-sacrificing
spirit stands out in splendid light.
5. Nations must observe the prac
tees of humanity. Slaughter of hui
nan beings in the attainment of self
:rl ends Is as wrong for nations as
fer individuals or gangs.
6. THE sovereignty Of States Is
not unlimited and absolute, but only
relative, subject to ethical restric-
tons and limitations.
Weak and helpless nations,
peoples or tribes and their lands are
not chatels to be handed around by
great and powerful states according
to their selfish interests. Slavery IS
an institution of the past, 1t stands
CT nhemned at the bar Of history
Slf very of whole peoples is no less
wrong than of individuals.
6 Mankind is one great family |
The welfare of each people is bound |
up with that Of every other people.
We are all members Of one another,
greed, violence, murder,
incidence, arrogance, brutality, false
hood, deceit, intrigue and the like are
Ill violations of the moral law of hu-
nan brotherhood no less when prac-
iced by whole nations and peoples
han when practiced by individuals or
mail groups.
Such in brief are the main outlines
VI the Moral Aims of the War. The
United States stands and fights for
/ moral Interpretation of the rela-
ions and activities Of nations. We
lemand open diplomacy; we seek JUS
ice and security for nations and peo-
lies, small and great alike; we stand
or adjustment and government of ter
'itories in view of the interests and
lights of their own populations.
"The attainment Of all these ends,
'owever, is impossible on the old or
Ter of wholly Independent, completely
nations, each a law
,ntirely to itself, each competing with
Ill other rivals for a place In the
world. and for such safety and for
such justice as II can command by It's
,wn bare might. This is the system
hat the world inherits from the past
This pagan conception Of nations and
aces is the product of past conditions
fhe world begins to recognize its de-
ects. Its continuance will lead only
o increasing tyranny OF the strong
md willful over the small and the
weak. Injustice will grow unimag-
ned extent.
The world has reached that de-