The Elbert County tribune., 1919-04-04
All Recognize Fact Country Re-
sorted to War to Put an
End to War.
AMERICAS TASK lSNoT OVER
Cash and Credit Of People Must Be
Extended. Peace Conditions Re-
constructed and Sacrifices viii
Be Necessary.
BY SENATOR JOHN SHARP WILL
IIAMS

What is the position of the United
States as n government and as
people upon the international arena
right now? How shall 1t. or how can
1t maintain that position? Is the po-
sltion worth while7
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 bur by the people themselves,
who in applaudiug him expressed their
affection for the American people. the
American republic and Its ideals.
The present position OF the United
States In the international aren 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
genulty can determine IL. / think we
might say that 1t 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 it's retreat (Which in
the last six days almost amounted to
rouD. 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; Cen
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
In Asia Minor had had his power
sapped. Even before the armlstice
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 Slavs, Czecho-S Slavs, Poles, Lithu-
anlans, Aisace-Lorrainers SchleswIg-
Holsteiners--why continue the enum-
Grafton? II our sole object had been
10 defeat the Hapsburgs and Hohenzol-
lerns and to make a 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 llber-
alton of subject peoples" and "the de-
Btruction of autocracy" and "the con-
quest of war" as permanent policy
by temporarily making war ourselves.
Why United States Entered the War
Now. IL the conquest of war and
autocracy and militarism is merely
temporary, we have made this war for
very little. j take Ii that in the hearts
OF nine out of ten American boys who
fought in France. and Italy. and Rus
sia there was desire TO do this thing
now In order that It should never have
to be done again. We resorted to war
to put an end to war. IL 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
wcrld might become unnecessary and
cease TO exist.
Now, how are we going to maintain
this position? 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"7
He will be right II the cynic's views
shall prevail. He will be right II we
cannot make contemporaneously with
the treaty of peace some agreement
IN.
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
II does not depend upon details. 1t
depends upon these fundamental prln-
ciples:
First, that sufficient pumber OF ma
tions. sufficiently 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-
hon.
Secondly, that II 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-
zation" with regard to traffic and trav-
ell and raw materials cut OFF. and shall
become the common enemy of mankind
until II RECEIVERS its sanity.
Shall we take that position In the
peace conference? Shall we on the
other hand block it by cutting off dis
cussion with mon possumus"? Is TAX
ing the position. and keeping the posi-
tt..r, ..Is tt,-.. -