The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-04-27
ms. GUUCk AND 5LOCUM SPEAK
On THE MORAL AIMS Of THE WAR;

by moral principles that lh. small and
weak and backward states hnd prnDl.s
have intrinsic rights which no nation.
however powerful. may rightly trans
SrcSS or invade.
"What"vrr may have been tn" ,nnr-
di;It. or more remote occasion ~ the
war. the real lSSu" al stake is the QueS-
ton as ID the real nature ut tn" state.
an issue which President Wilson has ST.
successfully bruugh; to tn" front in his
many splendid uttsranc"S. Is the state
moral or L physical being"
The Aim Of the War.
''Prc$!dcn Wilson insists that the
state is Il moral entity and subject to
moral law The aim OF the war. so far
as the Cnitel States is concerned. IL
to establish this proposition. Every
other statement, III regard To the moral
aims uf thu. war stands Or falls with
this on. II the state Is what German
claims hen her course is beyond re-
pro;tch fl the state is & moral entity
them sh" stands condemned at the bar
OF moral law and moral Judgment, uS
the most outrageous criminal nation III
history.
If then the state is q moral being
what ar. some al he principal items ~
l. The stat. must be honest. It
must tell thu truth. i milst b. sincere
and straightforward Lies. spies, in
lrigue fraud. treaties u b. broken at
will. are an nbumination To the King VI
Kings. and Lord Of Lords.
:" Nations are nciEhborS. members
OF ia" great human family. They must
BIZ Neigh b"rly.
3. ''\aiiuus must not steal nor rob
nor rui'.!at" tn" spirit Of curoutneSs
which. l.. ads TO. such deeds. Thcs.:
thing ar. Il repr"hcnsiblc--aS wrong
for :. uh ion as they are for an lnd''
yidual.
4. "Na,,"!s must he unsclhsh. gener-
, GUS hr!pIu! S.'lt-sI.criiicEng. They
should .ni,.r into comparative RELATIONS
for r:lututl profit rather than into re-
! latiunS OF lr$tr:Ict:v" competition ;tTltI
rivalry III this great war Amerir;tS
uus,.lf<h and seli-stcriiicing SpIri'
| stands uu. III Spi. nhid light.
! Nations .iu4t Observe The prhc-
! tees III humanity. Slaughter Of hui
man beings in IL" attainment Of selfish
, ends is :r< wrong for nations as for IN
: iiyidualS or gangs.
/ t. Thu. Suv.rrreniy az states is moi
! unlimited and absolute. bIt only rrla'
) tiy, Subjec; - ethical restrictions an!
, limitations.
! : Weak and h"lIl"SS nations. poo
! pies nr trib"s and their l;Inds are no,
! rh;ttels to he handed around by great
! and powerful states according I" thciI
; selfish interests. Slavery is an inStItu-
: lion nf the past. il stands condemned
! 1T the bar Of history. slavery "T Who'll.
! peoples is NJ less wrong than of indi'
! riluulS:
y. "Alankiud is one, great neral fam
! ily Thu, welfare ri each pr"pi" Is
! bound up with that OF every other lcU-
: pie. We are all members y; ole an
: Other. Sc!liShn.Ss. greed. violence. muir
! der iuSulcncr. arrogance. brutality
: f..lsrh,m,d.. deceit. iutrigu" AMI IN" Ills,
| arr: all violations ~ IN" moral Inv ol
! human brotherhood m less when prac-
; iced by whole nations and peoples thh'
! when practiccd by individuals or sinrl
/ groups.
! The Moral Aims.
| such. in brief. are the main out
lines Of Tho moral aims nf tho war. The
! tinted Statr4 stands and fights for :
! mora, Interpretation of IN" relations
! and activities OF nations. w" demand
i uprn diplomacy: VIC s""k Justice ant