The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-01-11


and responded to with the utmost cam
dor.
Lauds Lioyd-George's Speech.
"Within the last week Mr.. Lloyd
George has spoken with admirable can
dor and in admirable spirit for the
people and government of Great Brit
ain. There is no confusion of counsel
among the adversaries of the central
powers. no uncertainty of principle,
no vagueness 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.
"The issues of life and death hang
upon these definitions. No statesman
who has the least conception of his
responsibility ought for moment I'd
permit himself to continue this tragi-
cal and appalling Outpouring OF blood
and treasure unless he is sure beyond
a 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.
There is, moreover, voice call
ing for these definitions of princi-
pie and of purpose, which is. 1T seems
to me- more thrilling and more COM
polling 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.
"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 1t is
humane and honorable for them to
accept, has been stated with frank
ity 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-
lieve 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.
"It 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
no secret understandings Of
any kind. The day of conquest and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 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.
''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 UNI
oil would
secured once for all against their re-
currence
"What we demand in this war, there
fore, is nothing peculiar to our
selves.
''It is that the world be made fit and
safe to live in; and particularly that
1T be made safe for every peace-lOving
nation which, like our own, wishes to
live its own life, determine it's own in
situations, be assured of justice and
world as against force and selfish ag-
gression.
'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.
I. Open covenants of peace, openly
arrived at, after which there shall be
no private international understand
ings of any kind, but diplomacy shall
proceed always frankly and in the pub
lie view.
II Absolute freedom of navigation
upon the seas, outside territorial wa
tiers, alike in peace and war, except
as the seas may be closed in whole or
in part by international action for the
enforcement of international cove
nantS.
III. The removal, as far as possible,
of all economic barriers and the estab-
lishment of an equality of trade condi-
tons among all the nations consenting
to the peace and associating them
selves for it's maintenance.
". Adequate guarantees given and
taken that national ornaments will be
reduced to the lowest point consistent