The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-04-08

Justice or dominion, and the execute
OF their own will upon the other n
tons Of the world that the Germa
leaders are seeking. They have al
swered In unmistakable terms. The
have avowed that 1t was not justic
but dominion, and the unhindered e,
ecution Of their own will The avows
has not come from Germany's state
ment. 1t has come from her militar
leaders who are her rulers He
statesmen have said that they wishe
peace, and were ready to discuss it
terms whenever their opponents wer
willing to sit down at the conference
table with them. Her present chan
cellor has said-in indefinite and un
certain terms, indeed, and in phrases
that often seem to deny their owl
meaning, but with as much plainnes
as he though prudent-that he be
leved that peace should be based up
on the principles which we had de
clared would be our own in the fina
| settlement. Is
Points Some Examples
AT Brest-Litovsk her civilian lead
ers spoke In similar terms: Protested
their desire to conclude fair peace
and accord to the peoples with whose
fortunes they were dealing the right
to choose their own allegiances. But
action accompanied and followed the
profession. Their military masters,
the men who act for Germany and eX.
hibit her purpose in executions pro.
claimed a very different conclusion
We canot mistake what they have
done in Russia. in Finland in the Tx.
raine in Rumania. The real test of
their Justice and fair play has come
From this we may Judge the rest.
They are enjoying in Russia
cheap triumph in which no brave or
gallant nation can long take pride. 4
great people helpless by their own
act, lies for the time at their mercy
Their fair professions are forgotten
They nowhere have set up justice bu'
everywhere impose their power and
exploit everything for their own use
and aggrandizement; and the peoples
of conquered provinces are invited to
be free under their dominion.
Are we not justified in believing
that they would do the same things
at their western front if they were
not there face to face with the armies
whom even their countless divisions
cannot overcome? If, when they have
felt their check to be final, they
should propose. favorable and equit
oble terms with regard to Belgium and
France~an Italy, could they blame us
if we concluded that they did so only
to assure themselves of free hand !
in Russia and the east?
Empire to Gain
Their purpose is doubtedly to !
make all the slavic peoples, all the
free and ambitious nations of the NAL
tic peninsula, all the lands that Tur-
key has dominated and misruled, sub
ject to their will and ambitions and
build up on that dominion an empire
Of force upon which they fancy that
they can erect an empire of gain and
commercial supremacy-an empire as
hostile to the Americas as to the Eu-
rope which its will Overawe-an EN-
pire which will ultimately master Per-
STA, India and the peoples of the far
east. In such program our ideals,
the ideals of justice and humanity
md liberty, the principles Of the free
self determination of nations upon
which all the modern world insists,
can play no part. They are rejected
for the ideals Of power for the prin
ciple that the strong must rule the
weak, that trade INST follow. the flag,
those to whom it is taken
welcome it or not, that the peoples
of the world are to be made subjec'
to the patronage and over lordship of
those who have the power to enforce
it.
Rights Of All Blasted
THAT program once carried out,
America and all who care or dare to
stand with her must arm and prepare
themselves to contest the master. OF
the world. a mastery in which the
rights OF common. the rights of wo.
men and Of all who are weak, must
for the time being. be trodden under
foot and disregarded. and the old. age,
ong struggle for freedom and rights
begin again at its beginning. Every
hing that America has lived for and
loved and grown great to vindicate
md bring to glorious realization
will have fallen in utter ruin and the
;ates of mercy once more pitilessly
shut down upon mankind.
Is Preposperous 1
"The thing is preposterous and i'm
possible, and yet is not tht what the
whole course and action of the Ger.
nan armies has meant wherever they
rave moved? l do not wish even in
his moment of utter establishment
TO Judge harshly or unrighteously. ]
Judge only what the German armies
AVE accomplished with Implying
throughout every fair