Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-25

leave bitter memory on which peace would
rest as a quicksand." In the later address,
he first emphasized the fact consistently
urged afterward, that:
1--WE have no quarrel with the German
people 1t was not on their impulse that
their government acted in entering the war.
We are glad to fight for the ultimate peace
of the world and the liberation of it's people,
the German peoples included"
The Flag day address of June IA, 1917, de-
velops his conception of ''the military masters
! of Germany" Their Extraordinary insults
and aggressions" had forced us into the war.
| But he repeats,
1--WE are not the enemies of the German peo-
pie. We are vaguely conscious that we are
| fighting their cause as we'll Us our own. TIE
military masters under whom Germany is
| bleeding see clearly to what point fate has
| brought them. If they are forced back an
inch, their power will fall to pieces like
unite for peace, and Germany may be of the
union
In his reply to the pope, his address to con-
gress December 4, 1917, his declaration of
his fourteen points, and his speechea of April
| 6, July 4, and September 81, 1918, the ideas
with which his diplomacy began finally
! crystalline. His reliance on principles is I'M
changed, whether the outlook is dark
bright.
when the German people have GpOkesmen
whom we can believe and these spokesman in
| the name of their people accept the common
| judgment as to what shall be the basis of law,
we shall be free to do an unprecedented thing
| to base peace on generosity and Justice
| Justice done to every nation, our enemies as
we'll as our friends. l should be ashamed in
the presence of affairs SO grave use the
weak language of hatred.
| ''What we seek is the reign of law, based
on the consent of the governed, and sustained
| by the organized opinion of mankind. Plain
people still fear they are getting what they
| ask for in statesmens terms of territorial
arrangements and divisions of power, not in
| terms Ct Lroad-visioned justice and mercy and
peace and the satisfaction of those deep long
| ings that seem the only things worth fightin
war for that enguIfs the world"
On September 27, President wilson invited
the leaders of the allied governments to say
| frankly whether they thought him mistaken
in his Interpretation of the issues involved N
the war; as if he foresaw that the end was
near In his perOratiOn to the speech OF De-
cember 4, 1917, he had said
"a supreme moment of history has come.
| The eyes of the people have been opened ano
they see. The hand of God is laid upon the
nations. He will show them favor, devoutiy
believe, only if they rise to the clear heights
of His own justice and mercy"
Conservatives here tolerated what seemed
| to them the presidents academic phrases,
while he and they were alike primarily pro-
war, satisfied that the sword mightier
than the pen. But as victory approached and
his conceptions seemed possible of fulfillment,
they welcomed quite opposite views from Sen
| ator Lodge, for example:
1.-The only peace for us is one that rests
on hard physical facts. No peace that satisfies
Germany in any degree can ever satisfy US"
Senator Lodge did not wait for the presi-
dent to reply to Maximilian's first appeal, but
interposed
"There is only one thing to be done. That
is to put Germany in such position by physi
cal guarantees that she cannot break out
again. Put her behind the bars"
Throughout the vital diplomatic exchanges,
leading to the surrender of the Germans, con-
servatives here were convinced that only the
interpretations Of Mr.. Lodge saved the situa-
ton. While the president was gathering the
fruits of his reiterated offers of justice and
mercy to the German people, Mr.. Lodge was
publicly insisting on "retributive JUSTICE
and was saying: 81 regretted that the presi-
dent asked questions inviting discussion. If
we are to end this war as it ought to be end
ed, are we not ready to take the onus OF
carrying it on till that end is reached?" The
Boston Transcript cried '"The Germans will
not have to wait another note from Mr.. Will
son to ascertain the answer of America to
their offer of peace The answer was de-
IVered yesterday by Mr. Lodge. The nation
halls him it's spokesman" One may con-
trast the opinion of Cardinal MERCER, whose
land escaped being further laid waste by a
needless continuation of war:
'The triumph of justice is complete. Your
president is one of the greatest statesmen of
all times. The Germans dark plotting and
treacherous diplomacy were completely foiled
by President Wilson's magniicently honest
and implacably just messages"
With empires crashing revolutions faring
up, millions starving, and new world order
trying to struggle into life, Colonel Roose-
welt responded to the presidents appeal for
support that the nations inward unity or
purpose" might be "evident to all the world
by urging the election of a Republican con-
gress, that Europe might see that the fight
ing men," and not the "rhetoricians" were
uppermost. Such an outcome would assure
our allies that America is determined to
speed up the war cit was all over in a fort
night and "serve notice on Germany and her
vassal states that they would have to deal
| henceforth with the resolute and straightfor-
| ward soul of the American people, and not
| merely with the obscure purposes and Waver
| ing will of Mr.. Wilson,"
In Scribner's for November, within fort
night of the complete triumph of JUSTICE &C
| cording to Cardinal MERCER, Mr. Lodge said
"No peace coming from Germany must be
considered at all. Our business is to put her
back into padded cell. We must to Ber-
| lin and make peace there
| Senator Poindexter apparently shared his
views, for he said:
| eff the president undertakes to agree with
| Germany before her army is CONQUERED he