The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-09
JUSTICE TO ALL Nations
SAYS THE PRESIDENT

In the utterances of the spokesmen of
the central empires, they have again
attempted to acquaint the world with
their objects in the war and have again
challenged their adversaries to say
what their objects are and what sort
Of settlement they would deem just
and satisfactory.
There is no good reason why that
challenge should not be responded to,
and responded to with the utmost cam
dor. We did not wait for it. Not
once, but again and again we have
laid our whole thought and purpose be-
fore the world, not in general terms
only but each time with sufficient def
milton to make it clear what sort of
definite terms of settlement must nee
essarily spring out of them.
lauds Lloyd Georges Speech.
within the last week Mr.. Lloyd
George has spoken with admirable can
dor and in admirable spirit for the peo-
pie and government of Great Britain.
There is nOeconfusiOn of counsel among
the adverSaries of the central powers,
no uncertainty of principle, no vague
ness Of detail.
The only secrecy of counsel, the
only lack of fearless frankness, the
only failure to make definite state
ment of the objects of the war, lies
with Germany and her allies.
1.-The issues of life and death hang
upon these definitions. No statesman
who has the least conception of his
responsibility ought for a moment to
permit himself to continue this tragi-
cal and appalling outpouring of blood
and treasure unless he is sure beyond
peradventure that the objects of the
vital sacrifice are part and parcel Of
the very life of society and that the
people for whom he speaks think them
right and imperative as he does.
Ihere is, moreover a voice call
Ing for these definitions of princi-
pie and of purpose which is, it seems
to me, more thrilling and more COM
pell1ng than any of the many moving
voices with which the troubled air of
the world is filled. 1t is the voice of
the Russian people. They are pros
trate and all but helpless, it would
seem, before the grim power of Ger
many, which has hitherto known no re-
lenting and no pity.
II Their power apparently is shat
tered, and yet their soul is not sub
servient They will not yield either
IN principle or in action. The con-
ception of what is right, of what it is
humane and honorable for them to
accept, has been stated with q frank
ness, a largeness Of view, generos-
lty of spirit and a universal human
sympathy which must challenge the
admiration of every friend of man
kind; any they have refused to COM
pound their ideals or desert others that
they themselves may be safe.
They call to us to say what it is
that we desire, in what, if anything,
our purpose and our spirit differ from
theirs; and | believe that the people
OF the United States would wish me
to respond with utter simplicity and
frankneSS.
whether their present leaders be-
lleve it or not, it is our heartfelt de-
sire and hope that some way may be
opened whereby we may be privileged
TO assist the people of Russia to at
tain their utmost hope of liberty and
ordered peace.
No Secret Understandings.
1T will be our wish and purpose
that the processes Of peace, when they
are begun, shall be absolutely open and
that they shall involve and permit
henceforth no secret understandings of
any kind. The day of conquest and
aggrandizement is gone by; so is also
the day Of secret covenants entered
into in the interest of particular gov
ernments and likely at some unlocked
for moment to upset the peace of the
world.
'It is this happy fact, now clear
to the view of every public man whose
thoughts do not still linger in an age
that is dead and gone, which makes it
possible for every nation whose pur-
poses are consistent with justice and
the peace Of the world to avow now or
at any other time the objects it has
in view.
"We entered this war because vio-
lations of right had occurred which
touched us to the quick and made the
life Of our own people impossible un-
less they were corrected and the world
secured once for all against their re-
currence.
What we demand in this war, there
fore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves.
SIT is that the world be made fit and
safe to live in; and particularly that
it be made safe for every peace-loving
nation which, like our own, wishes to
live its own life, determine it's own in
stitutiOns be assured of justice and
fair dealing by the other peoples of the
world as against force and selfish ag-
gresSiOn. All the peoples of the world
are in effect partners in this interest.
and for our own part we see very
clearly that unless justice be done to
others it will not be done to us.
1.-THE program of the worlds peace.
therefore, is our program, and that
program. the only possible program. as
we see it. is this:
Wants Open Covenants.
l. Open covenants of peace, openly
arrived at, after which there shall he
no private international understand
ings of any kind, but diplomacy shall