The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-04-03
All Recognize Fact Country Re-
sorted to War to Put an
End TO War.
AMERICAS TASK SNo1 OVER
Cash and Credit ef People Must BE
Extended, Peace Conditions Re-
constructed and Sacrifices VIII
Be Necessary.
BY SENATOR JOHN SHARP Will.
LlAMS

What Is the position Of the United
States as a government and as a
people upon the international arena
right now? How shall 1t. or how, can
1t maintain that positioni Is the po-
sltion worth while2
The first question is very well an
swered by the magnificent reception
that has been given to the president of
the United States in England. France,
Italy-wherever he has been-not only
by the spokesmen of the governments
there but by the people themselves,
who in applauding him expressed their
affection for the American people. the
American republic and its ideals.
The present position of the United
States In the international arenn is
substantially this: 1t is demand not
merely for a cessation of war In so far
as the present war goes. but termina-
tion Of all wars in so far as human in
genuity can determine 1t. think We
might say that it is all based upon
the love OF justice. confidence in mercy
and the reasonableness of brotherly
love. We did not fight this war merely
to whip Germany; although we had
to whip her before we could do any
thing else; we had to whip her to
finish. and we had to convince the Ger
man people that thy were whipped.
We did that so fully that the German
people fell to pieces even before the
German army in its retreat (Which in
the last six days almost amounted to
a rout), had confessed defeat We not
only did that. but prior to that Aus
tria had collapsed. The armies of
the allies. with headquarters at Sa-
lonica, had destroyed Bulgaria; Gen
eral Allenby had reconquered. Jerusa-
lem for the Jews and the Christians;
the British army had taken possession
of Mesopotamia; the Turk in Europe
had been virtually removed; the Turk
sapped. Even before the armistfee
came. all over the balance of the world
much more emphatically than upon the
western front. came the liberation Of
the peoples-Arabs, Jews. Armenians,
Jugo-S -Slavs. Czecho- Slavs. Poles Lthu-
anians. Alsace-Lorrainers. Schleswig-
Holsteiners-why continue the enum-
eration3 II our sole object had been
10 defeat the Hapsburgs and Hohenzol-
lerns and to make 4 treaty Of peace
with them and with the sultan of Tur-
key, none of this would have hap
pened.
The position Of the United States.
summed up in one word, Is 'the liber-
alton Of subject peoples" and "the de-
struction of aut0cracy" and ''the con-
quest of war" NJ q permanent policy
by temporarily making war ourselves.
Why United States Entered the War.
Now. II the conquest Of war and
autocracy and militarism II merely
temporary, We have made this war for
very little. I take 1t that in the hearts
OF nine out Of ten American boys who
fought in France. and Italy. and Rus
sia there was q desire to do this thing
now in order that 1t should never have
to be done again. We resorted to war
to put an end to war. II We could. We
resorted temporarily to universal con-
scription for military service in Amer
lea, In order that universal conscrip-
tion for military service all over the
wcrid might become unnecessary and
cease to exist.
Now, how are We going to maintain
this positionf Was Uncle Joe Cannon
right when he said that I'VE contend
ed for peace without victory, and now
We have got victory without peace"f
He will be right II the cynics views
shall prevail. He will be right II we
cannot make contemporaneously with
the treaty Of peace some agreement
amongst q sudicient number of respec-
table nations to make terms effective
which shall render the conditions Of
peace permanent, and remove. in nine
cases out Of ten. the causes of war.
A league Of nations does not depend
upon how many nations enter into 1t;
It does not depend upon details. 1t
depends upon these fundamental prin-
ciples:
First, that q sufiicient sumber Of na-
tions, sufYiciently respectable and pow
erful, shall willingly agree with the
will to freedom behind them. that no
civilized nation shall make war upon
another without previously having
either proposed or accepted arbitra-
tion.
Secondly, that If any civilized nation
shall make war upon another without
either having proposed or accepted ar
bitration, that nation shall be regard
ed as being beyond the pale Of civili-
xation" with regard to traffic and trav-
el and raw materials cut of. and shall
become the common enemy Of mankind
until 1t RECEIVERS its sanity.
Shall we take thst position in the
peace conference? Shall we on the
1 other hand block 1t by cutting on dis
cussIon with mon possumus"? Is tax
ing the position. and keeping the posi-
tion. and making 1t effective worth