The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-03-23
Peace Talk Is
Policeman Talk
(By Richard H. Edmonds, Editor
Manufacturers Record.)

The supreme question before this !
country is to fight, and fight for it's
own lift, for civilization and for Chris |
tianity itself, to the utter extermina-
ton of the accused power of Ger
many. which has filled the world with
blood and sorrow. i
This is no time to talk of peace or
think of peace.
Any man in this country, or in that
OF any of the Allies, who utters one
word in behalf of peace until Ger
many has been beaten to its knees,
is false to the greatest moral issue
which the world has ever faced
Peace talk IS pro-German talk; it
is talk with rampant, blood-stained,
red-handed murderers, and interna-
tional and individual rapists, and is
disgrace to any man of moral char.
acter who utters word in its behalf.
Indeed, no man or woman having
due appreciation of the fearful i'm
morality of Germany can possibly
look with any degree of favor what
soever upon any other peace with
Germany than the peace which the
law makes with the individual muir
dered and rapist when forced to pay
the just penalty of his crime.
This is not the time to talk peace.
This is the time to stir the fighing
spirit of America, and in this way
revivify and strengthen the fighting
spirit of England, France, Belgium
Italy, Serbia, and Rumania, who for
nearly four years have poured out
their blood to save the world from
obstruction by barbarism.
Any suggestion of peace on any
other terms than the complete de-
struction of the military power of
Germany and the punishment unto
death of those responsible for Ger
many's actions would be merely the
Offering of premium upon crime,
and such a suggestion would be a
disgrace to the moral fibre Of any
who uttered the thought.
There can be no peace with the
red-handed murderer, no peace with
the rapist except that peace which
the law enforces in all civilized COM
munities against such black crimes,
and there can be no other basis of
peace with Germany than the en-
forcement of the same law and to the
same extent.
This has been the position of the
Manufacturers Record from the be-
ginning of this great contest and
I from this there cannot be any dissent
by any right-minded, honest-hearted,
moral-thinking man.
We cannot think of placing a prem
uum upon such crimes without dis
gracing our mothers, our wives, our
daughters and all womanhood
We cannot think of welcoming back
without contrition and without pun
ishment the cold-blooded murderer
and outrager Of women and children,
neither can we think of welcoming
back into world society, except
through punishment and contrition,
those who internationally and indi-
vidually have stained the pages Of
history with blood and sorrow, and
as never before In all human exper-
fence.
This is no time to talk peace.
This is the time to talk war, to talk
fight, the time when the nation, like
the individual community, must de-
Jtl Hllilt W supply No INC VI luliHdl
rather than yield to his crimes.
This is the time when the nation
on Bonded knees may we'll ask Al
mighty God to strengthen its power
to fight in order that it may do the
work to which He has called us as
clearly as He ever called any man
or any nation to any great task since
the beginning Of time.
Our supreme duty is to fight
The supreme business of this ma
ton is to win the war, and never to
count that 1t has been won until
there is a complete unconditional
surrender by Germany, and until
Germany's murderers, from the high
est on the throne. have paid the full
penalty of their crimes.