Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-07-11
No PEACE UNTIL
HUN IS CRUSHED,
SAYS PRESIDENT
Speaks at Washington's Tomb on
independence Day.
SETTLEMENT MUST BE FINAL
Says "Blinded Rulers Of Prussia Have
Reused Forces They Knew Little
Cf-Forces Which Once Reused
Can Never Be Crushed to
Earth"


Mount Vernon, Va, July 4.Presi-
dent Wilson In his Independence day
address at George Washington's tomb
here said that the father Of his cOun-
try and his associates spoke and act
ed, not for class. but for people
and that 1t has been left for us to see
to 1t that 1t shall be understood that
they spoke and acted, not for single
people only but for all mankind and
were planning that men Of every class
should be free and America place to
which men out Of every nation might
resort who wished to share with them
the rights and privileges Of free men.
The president then referred to the
present world struggle and said that the
peoples of the world find themselves
confronted by selfish group of ma
lions who speak no common purpose
but only selfish ambitions Of their own
and by which none can profit but
themselves and whose people are fuel
In their hands. He declared that these
governments are clothed with strange
rappings and the primitive authority
Of an age that is altogether alien and
hostile to our own. He said the past
and the present are In deadly grappte
and the peoples Of the world are be-
ing done to death between them. The
rulers Of the central powers even fear,
their own people, said the president.
He declared that there can be but one
issue In this war and the settlement
must be final; that there can be no
compromise and no halfway decision
Is conceivable.
Text Of Address. Il
The text Of the presidents speech
follows:
Gentlemen Of the Diplomatic Corps
and My Fellow Citizens: am happy
to draw apart with you to this quiet
place Of old counsel In order to speak
a little Of the meaning Of this day Of
our nations independence. The place
seems very still and remote. It is as
serene and untouched by the hurry Of
the world as twas In those great days
long ago when General Washington
was here and held leisurely conference
with the men who were to be associ-
ated with him in the creation Of q ma
ton. From the gentle slopes they
looked out upon the world and saw It
whole. saw 1t with the light Of the flu
ture upon 1t, saw 1t with modern eyes
that turned away from a past which
men Of liberated spirits could no longer
endure, 1t is for that reason that we
cannot feel, even here, in the immedi-
ate presence of this sacred tomb, that
this is place Of death. It was
place Of achievement. A great promise
that was meant for all mankind was
here given plan and reality. The as
sociations by which we are here sur
rounded are the inspiring associations
Of that noble death which is only a
glorious contamination. From this
green hillside we also ought to be able
to see with comprehending eyes the
world that lies about us and should
conceive anew the purposes that must
set men free.
Planned Universal Freedom.
1T is significant-significan Of their
own character and purpose and of the
influences they were setting afoot-
that Washington and his associates,
like the barons at Runnymede, spoke
and acted, not for a class, but for q
people. It has been left for us to see
to 1t that it shall be understood that
$ they spoke and acted, not for single
people only, but for all mankind. They
were thinking, not of themselves and
of the material interests which CEN
tered in the little groups of landhold-
ers and merchants and men Of affairs
with whom they were accustomed to
act, in Virginia and the colonies to the
north and south of her, but Of a people
which wished to be done with classes
and special interests and the author
ity Of men whom they had not them
selves chosen to rule over them. They
entertained no private purpose. de-
sired no peculiar privilege.
"They were consciously planning
that men Of every class should be free
and America place to which men out
Of every nation might resort who
wished to share with them the rights
and privileges of free men. And we
take our cue from them-do we not?
I We intend whar they intended. We
here in America believe our participa-
ton in this present war to be only the
fruitage of what they planted. Our
case differs from theirs only in this.
| that 1t Is our inestimahle privilege to
concert with men out Of every nation
| what shall make not only the liberties
| Of America secure but the liberties of
! every other people as well. We are
happy in the thought that we are per-
! United to do what they would have
/ done had they been In our place.
4 There must now be settled once for all
what was settled for America In the
great age upon whose inspiration we
1 draw today. This is surely a fitting
/ place from which calmly to look out
upon our task, that we may fortify our
/ spirits for its accomplishment. And
/ this is the appropriate place from
which to avow. alike to the friends
/, who Look an and to the friends with