The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-12-13
ENTER THE STATESMAN

man The swords are back in their
scabbards, the threats of the guns are
silent. The soldier returns to the
walks of peace. He passes the
statesman on his way-the statesman
with his portfolios and his tones of
international laws.
The soldier has done his work well.
He fought heroically. He suffered and
endured. He buried his dead. He
won the war.
And now the question arises: Will
the statesman do his work-the work
that awaits his hands-as well as the
soldier did the work that was cut out
| for him?
1t is a question as grave as was the
other when the war began. Indeed, it
is even a graver question, because the
work of the soldier was to win the par
ticular war in which he was engaged.
The work of the statesman now is to
end war forever.
That's ito end war forever, no
matter what other questions may
arise. The statesmen, who are now
soon to gather at the peace table of
the world have responsibility on
their shoulders SO far greater than
the responsibilities ever borne by
statesmen before that there is no
comparison
This is also exactly what they are
scheduled to do, but will they do it?
Or will they, instead, involve the par
leys and the proceedings of the con-
ference in squabbles, as it has been
the custom of peace conferences to do,
immemorially?
There is the possibility that the
peace table may fail in the big task
before it while doing many things for
the worlds future good. But there is
a way to head off the possible mis-
fortune.
That way is for the peoples of the
democracies of the world, whose rep
resentatives the dictators at this
peace table will be, to issue their Or
ders to the plenipotentiaries; say to
them that they must, first and fore
most, make peace that will be last
ing; that they must take full advan-
tage of this one opportunity afforded
in all the ages, to put an end to war
forever.
That the fear of the failure of the
Peace Conference to accomplish the
one great blessing that no peace ia
BILE ever had chance to accomplish
before is not without foundations, we
have but to quote the words of Lloyd
George, uttered few days ago.
Vigorous attempts will be made to
hector and bully the Government"
said the British Premier, "in an en-
deavor to make them part from the
strict principles of right and to salts
fly some base, sordid and squalid ideas
of vengeance and avarice."
And he added this tremendous SEN
tence to his speech: "Are we to lapse
into the old national rivalries, ami
mosities and competitive ornaments,
or are we to indicate the reign on
earth of the Prince of Peace?"
No more satisfying and comforting
utterance than this could be asked |
for, and it is all the more assuring |
since it comes from one of the men
who will have as much to say as any |
other when the Peace Conference
meets.
Clemenceau, Lloyd George and |
Woodrow Wilscn--these are the men
n whose hands are mainly now the
lestinies of the world. With the col
apse of Germany, fate transferred its
string and scissors from the soldier to
he statesman.
But these three men are not Kings
n Cars or Kaisers. They are merely
ne servants and the spokesman of
he free peoples of the nations they
epresent. So it is not SO much what
hey are, themselves, as it is what the
'eople are who are behind them.
These three men are in full accord.
Not one of them desires vengeance;
lot one Of them desires to see the |
world lapse into ancient animosities
nd squaldid rivalries; each one would
Welcome the reign of the Prince of
'eace on earth.
But, have they the peoples of their
ations solidly back of them in these
did Lloyd George speak
ct alone of a class in England who
iffer with his ideals, or did he speak
t class Of the same kind in France
nd America as we'll II
There must be no Junkers at this
eace table, which is now to be set |,
p. And. the Junkers, who will not
it at the peace table. must be barred