Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-03-12

inferno OF Russia. the fires or ter
rorism are ablaze in the streets of
Germany. Out of the ruins of this
once great empire it is now sweep
ing westward 1t is no time to al
low sentiments OF vengeance and
hatred to stand in the way OF
checking this conf1agration which
will soon be at the German borders
and threaten other lands. We must
change the conditions on which So
cial unrest feeds, and strive to re-
store Germany to a normal, though
it be a weakened social order. Two
words tell the story-foOd and
peace. To make Germany capable
of resisting anarchy and the hide
Gus despotism of the red terror,
Germany must be allowed to pur-
chase food and to earn that food,
industrial conditions must be re-
stored by a treaty of peace. 1t is
not out of pity for the German
people that this must be done and
done without delay. but because
we, the victors in this war. will be
tie chief sufferers if it is not done.
You may demand reparation as
much as you please, but unless the
German people are furnished ma
terials for their industries and
commercial opportunities TO sell
the products OF labor in tIe foreign
markets, and unless the labOrers
have food, Germany can never pay,
even in part, for the evil she has
done Furthermore, If the present
state Of chaos continues and the
political power continues to grow
weaker there will be no respons-
ible German government with
which to make peace. there will be
no government strong enough to
carry out the conditions of the
treaty of peace.
Face World Crisis.
'I say to you men Of France and
men of America. and to you men of
the allied powers. that there is no
time to be lost if we are % save the
world from the despotism Of an
archy. even as we have saved it
from the despotism of autocracy.
We ought 10 make, we must make,
peace without delay. and ships
laden with food must enter the har-
bors of Germany. We have reached
We must meet Ii without passion
and without permitting our tudg
ment to be warped by a natural and
unavoidable desire for vengeance on
a nation which has committed such
atrocities as those the Germans
have committed.
There can not be any doubt in
the minds of thinking men as 10
he danger that faces the nations. !
We are victorious. and vet victory
IN the battlefield is not all. We !
must use our victory wisely or We
will lose even more than we have |
gained. 1t is no time to permit sell
ishness to control our actions or 70 /
permit an immediate advantage to !
blind our eyes to the greater good /
which lies in the future. 1t is not a |
,pirit of generosity which demands !
1eace and which cries out that the /
Germans must be fed. 1t is common |
,ense that demands it and that /
points out the peri1s before US If we |
10 not listen to the voice of reason. !
France showed her greatness of /
oul in the dark hours of adversely
md we of America who give her IN
tinted praise. trust her to show the
anne spirit in the days of triumph.
t Is through philosophy which
caches a man or a nation to bear
uccess as well as defeat. Together
france. America and the powers as
ociated with them in this great war
must go forward to the completion
f the task which they set out to
eTform, to make the world safe for
emocracy.
New Era Dawns.
And one last word. a word of
ffection for France. our ancient
lily; a word of admiration for her
reat chiefs who have led her on
Yard through the dark valley of
cath to the shining heights of vic
ory: a word of reverence for the
acrifcial spirit of the people of
rance which never faltered or fail
d but burned with undying patriot
sm in darkest hours. The valor and
lory of France and her children
re written in letters of eternal
ght across the heavens. where
here dawns a new era and a new
ope of humanity"
Z
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e 4 q D