Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-17

believe that they will be false to those
who have given their all to save the
freedom Of the world il they consent
70 treat war on any other basis than
s. s crime against humanity and right.
This attitude Of the Allied and as
sacisted powers was made perfectly
clear "a Germany during the war by
their Drinciral statesmen. 1t was de
fined hv President Wilson in his speech
Of An~il 6. 1918. and explicitly and
catcco~icslly accented by the German
ononle as principle covering the peace
Let everything that We say, my fell
low couptrymen. everything that we
hcnceforth plan aud accomplish, ring
true to this RESPONSE. till the majesty
and might Of our concerted power shall
I'll the thought and utterly defeat the
force Of those who fiout and misprize
what We honor and hold dear. Germany
has once more said that force and force
alone shall decide whether justice ana
pAsce shall reign in the affairs of men,
whether right as America conceives it
or dominion as she cOnceives it shall
determine the deStinies Of mankind.
There is. therefore. but one response
possible from us: Force. force to the
utmost. force without stint or limit,
the righteous and triumphant force
which shall make right the law of the
world and cast every selfish dominion
down in the dust.
just Punishment Promised
NJ. Clemcnceau in the letter also
quotes from speeches delivered by Pre-
mief Lloyd George. of Great Britain ;
himself as premier of France and Pre-
mier Orlando. of Italy. in which it was
specifically declared that when victory
was won compromise as to peace terms
was impossible and just punishment
should be meted out. and continues:
Justice. therefore. is the only pos
sible basis for the settlement of the ac
counts of this terrible war. Justice is
what the German delegation asks for and
says that Germany has been promised.
But it must be Justice for all. There
must he justice for the dead and wounded
and for those who have been made or .
pIians and bsreaved that Europe might
be fire from Prussian despotism. There
must be justice for the peoples who now
stagger under war debts. which exceed
$50 200. .000. 900, that liberty might be
saved. There must be justice for those
millions whose homes and lands, ships
and property German savagery has
spoliated and destroyed.
That is why tht Allied and as
,sciated powers have insisted as a car
dinal feature of the treaty that Ger
many must undertake to make repara
tion to the very uttermost of her power
for reparation for wrongs inflicted is OF
the essence of justice.
Reason for Trials
That is why they insist that those
individuals who are most clearly re
sponsible for German aggression and for
those acts of barbarism and inhumanity
which have disgraced the German con :
duct of the war must be handed over
to Justice. which has not been meted
out to them at home.
That, too, is why Germany must
submit for few years to certain spe-
cial disabilities and arrangements. Ger
many has ruined the industries, the
mines and the machinery of neighboring
countries, not during battle. but with
the deliberate and calculated purpose
of enabling her own industries to seize
their markets before their industries
could recover from the devastation thus
wantonly inflicted upon them.
Germany has despoiled her neigh
bors of everything she could make use
of or carry away. Germany has de-
stroyed the shipping of all nations on
! the high seas, where there was nc
chance of rescue for their passengers
and crews.
1T is only justice that restitu
| ton should be made and that these
wronged peoples should be safeguarded
for a time from the competition of a
nation whose industries are intact and
have even been fortified by machinery
stolen from occupied territories. II
these things are hardships for Ger
many, they are hardships which Ger
many has brought upon herself. Some
body must suffer for the consequences
of the war. Is it to be Germany OIL
| the peoples she has wounded.
Not to do justice to all concerned
would only leave the world open to fresh
calamities. If the German people them
selves, or any other nation, are to be
deferred from following the footsteps OF
Prussia: il mankind is to be lifted out
of t,.a belief that war for selfish ends is
| legitimate to any state: if the old era
! is to be left behind and nations as well
as individuals are to be brought be