i
The Commoner
VOL. 17, NO. 1
v
&
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Its disturbing effects. And yet the concroto ob
jects for which it is being waged have never been
definitely stated.
"Tho loidors of the several belligerents have,
as has been said, stated thoso objects in general
torms. But stated in general terms, thoy seem
tho same on both sides. Never yet have author
itative spokesmen of cither sido avowed tho pre
cise objects which would, if attained, satisfy
them and their pc.nnl" flint the war had been
fought out. Tho world has been loft to con.1
.turo what definitive rcuuliu, what actual exchange
,of guaranties, what political or territorial
changes or readjustments, what stage of mili
.'tary success evon, would bring tho war to an
end. .
"It may bo that peace Is nearer than wo know;
that tho torms which the-belligerents on tho one
side and on tho other would deem it necessary
to insist upon are not so irreconcilable as some
have feared ; that an interchange of views would
clear tho way at least for conference and make,
tho permanent concord of the nations a hope of
tho immediato future, a concert of nations im
mediately practicable. ; . ,
"Tho President is not proposlngoPeaco; .ho is,
not oven ofToring modlation, Ho. is .merely pro
posing that soundings bo taken in order, that wo
may learn, the neutral nations with tho bellig
erent, how noar tho haven of peace may be for
which all mankind longs with an .intense and in
creasing longing. Ho believes 'that tjie.splrit in
which ho speaks and tho objects which he seeks
will bo understood by all concerned, and ho con
fidently hopes for a response which will bring a
now light into tho affairs of the, .world.", -,
PRESIDENT
RENDERS AN
SERVICE
INVALUABLE
to
. Mr. Bryan sont the following .telegram-
Prooldont WUrou from Miami,. .Kl.ttv, Deq, 1:
Hon. Woodrow Wilson, President:
You have rendered an Invaluable1 sorvico to a
waT-stricken world in asking tho belligerent na
tions to set forth In specific terms the conces
"alona'aM aBBurancca which they 'deonl neces
sary to the. establishment of a lasting peace. It
would" bo a reflection upon tho nations at war
to doubt that thoy know tho ends for which they'
are fighting or to assume that thoy have any
purposes which they are unwilling to reveal. Jl
definite statement by both sides, no matter how
far these statements may be apart, will cleat
tho a'r and afford a basis for negotiations, and,
when negotiations begin, thoy are not likely to
terminate until an agreement is reached, because
neither side will consent to assume responsibil
ity for continu'ng tho unspeakable, horrors of
this conflict, if any reasonable terms can bo se
.cured. Accept cordial congratulations and my
earnest wish for the success of the movement
which you have had; the honor to inaugurate.
.m J. BRYAN.
X
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS COMMENCED
A Berlin wireless to Sayyllle, dated Dec. 26,
says: The text of Germany's answer to Presi
dent Wilson's note was transmitted today to
James W. Gerard, thqA.mer.lcan Ambassador.
"Tho high-minded suggestion made by tho
President of the United States of America in or
der to create a basis for the establishment of a
lasting peace has been received and considered
by the imperial government : inth,o friendly, spirit
which was expresseaTir-t5fresidont's com
munication, "? " .'
'The President points out tnat which he has
at heart and leaves open the choice of the road.
"To tho Imperial government an immediate
exchange" of views seems to bo tho most 'impro
priate road in order to rfcadli tho desired result.
"It begs, thereforo, in thesonse of the dec
laration made on December 12, which Offered a
hand for" peace negotiations, to-propose an im-
"mediate nieeting of delegates of the belligerent
''-states at1 a neutral place.
,o.: ."? Th.0 Imperial government IsalsO of tho opin
" '''"Ion-1 that1 the great work of preventing future
''"' t !Swars can bo begun only after the end of tho pre's-""'-'
eht struggle of the nations. '
"It will, when this moment shall have come,
be ready1 with pleasure to collaborate entlroly
vr-'wlt"h tho United States In this exalted task."
Tho answer of tho Central powers concludes
'M " with theusual diplomatic terms -f politeness.
tfctprpj Entente nations' reply toH President WU
mn son's nob will be found on Page 28.Edi
o.:il
APPEAL TO DAVID LLOYD GEORGB
Mr. Bryan gent the following cablegram to
David Lloyd George from Jacksonville., Fla-t
Dec. 15:
David Lloyd Georgo:
As a friend of all tho nations at war, as a
Christian and a lover of humanity, I respectfully
but most earnestly appeal to you to use your
great influence to secure your government' con
sent to negotiations.
There is no dispute that must necessarily be
settled by force. All international disputes are
capable of adjustment by peaceful means. Every
guarantoo that can possibly be secured by war
can bo stated as a condition precedent to peace.
Do not, I pray you, by refusing an exchange of
v'iews assume responsibility for a continuation
of. the unspeakable horrors of this unparalleled
conflict. Your decision may mean life or death
to millions.
W: J. BRYAN.
BEGINNING OF THE END '
Every citizen, in the nation should offer a
prayer, of thanksgiving fqr the step which, the
President has taken in the direction of peace. He
has done .exactly tho right thing in asking the
belligerent nations q state tho terms upon which ,
they are willing forvtho.war to end Hedoes
, not attempt to outline terms rthat is not his
business. He .simply assumes that the nations
at war KNOW what they are fighting, about -will
they deny that they, KNOW?- Ho also as
sumes that the ends for which they fight are
? public ends ands which thoy have no reason
to conceal. Will they deny that thoy fight for
public ends? They dare not say that they are
actuated by a SECRET PURPOSE in the un
precedented slaughter in which they are en
gaged. If they know what thoy are fighting fpj; and
have nothing to conceal, they can easily respond
to tho President's very reasonable request, and
than fr.hn -world will know which, aide Is to blame
k.for the continuation, of the warand. responsi
bility for a continuation of this war is' even more
grave than responsibility 'for its. beginning, Be
cause no ope, could have known in advan.ee what,
all now know of its Unspeakable cruelties and of
the unbearable burden it casts upon this and fu
ture" generations. '
Let us hope that the President's appeal, is the. .
beginning of the enjl o,f this horrible, nightmare
which constitutes such'' an awful" "indictments
against Christian civilization. W. J. BRYAN.
"PREMATURE" PEACE
One of the most pathetic incidents of.th,e.war
across the sea one of the most damning proofs
of its brutalizing influence is to be found in a
document recently signed by "fifty prelates and
laymen of various denominations representing
- many, sections of the country" who have "united
in a warning against what they declare may be 1
a1' premature peace In Europe. (The-words
quoted are taken from a press dispatch which
appeared in the morning papers on New Year's
Day what a beginning for a New Year!)
; The signers say that they "view with some
(Concern the organized and deliberate efforts
now being made to so stampede Christian sen
timent as to create a public opinion blindly fa
vorable, to stopping hostilities without adequate
consideration of the issues which the war in
volves." After two years and five months of a war that
has caused the death of five millions and the
wounding of ten. millions more the expendi
ture of more than fifty billions, and the con
traction of war debts that can not be liquidated
in centuries to think that "prelates and lay
men," even to the number of fifty, can be found
to protest against a proposed peace as "pre
mature." One can understand how a Christian in tho
midst of this unparalleled carnage, with his face
. bathed in blood and his heart bursting with
anger, could in a moment of exe'tement forget
his religion long enough to use language like
that employed by tho "prelates and laymen,"
but It would seem impossible if it were not
so -that Americans with any degree of prom-'
inence in any Christian denomination should
so forget the teachings of the Prince of Peace
t as to rebuke the President for the righteous ef-
' fort he is making to bring the war to an end
And yet there was one among the twelve select-
d by tha Master himself, who did not under
stand the character of Christ's mission the
proportion la not leas today. W. J. BRYAN.
' i
SWITZERLAND SUPP0RTS THE PRESIDENT
Following la the text of th note from tho
Swiss Consul, as given out by Secretary Lansinr
"The President of the United States of America
with whom the Swiss federal council, guided by
its warm desiro that tho hostilities may soon
como to an end, has for a considerable time been
in touch, had the kindness to apprise the federal
council of the peace note sent to the govern
ments of the central and entente powers, in
that note President Wilson discusses the great
desirability of international agreements for the
purpose of avoiding more effectively and per
manently tho occurrence of catastrophes such as
the one under which the peoples are suffering
today. In this connection ho lays particular
stress on tho necessity fQr bringing about the
end of the present war. Without making peace
proposals himself or offering mediation, he con
fines himself to sounding as to whether mankind
may hop to have approached the haven of
peace.
"The moat meritorious personal initiative of
President Wilson will find a mighty echo in
Switzerland. True to the obligations arising
from observing the strictest neutrality, united
by the same friendship with the states of both
warring groups and powers, situated like an is
land amidst the seething waves of the terrible
world war, with its ideal and material interests
most sensibly jeopardized and violated, our
country is filled with a deep longing for peace,
and. ready to assist by its small means to stop
the endless sufferings caused by the war and
brought before its eyes by daily contact with the
interned, the severely wounded, and those ex
pelled, and to establish the fourdations for a
beneficial co-operation of the peoples.
"The Swiss federal council is therefore glad to
seize the opportunity to support the efforts of
the President of the United States. It would
iconsider itself happy if it could act in any, no
matter how modest a way, for the rapproche
, mqnt of the peoples now engaged in the struggle,
and for reaching a lasting peace."
SENATE SUPPORTS PRESIDENT'S APrEAL
.,. . FOR PEACE
"' 'The senate has, by a vote of 47 to 17, endorsed
-the President's appeal for peace. Good. Tho
resolution was so worded, as NOT to endorse tho
suggestion of an agreement to enforce peace
hereafter.
The two propositions are distinct and separate,
and endorsement of one does not carry with it
the endorsement of tho other.
EVERYBODY should support the proposition
that the nations at war' state to the world the
conditions upon which they are willing to have
peace restored; NOBODY should support the
proposition that we form an alliance with any or
ajl of the European nations to enforce peace in
Europe. Our interests are different from theirs;
we nave no part in their rivalries or hatreds,
and we have no young men to lay upon the altar
of the old "World war god. W. J. BRYAN.
It is significant, but not strange, that the
jingo ministers who are now afraid the Eu
ropean war will end too soon are the very one3
who shouted for preparedness injthis country
because they professed to fear that war would
begin too soon over here. And it so happens
that the professional soldiers and tho manufac
turers of munitions agree with these jingo min
isters in both positions.
OPPOSING PEACE
The opposition to peace
foetnil llV thO
me opposition to peace manuesLuu
InnrMnn- 4tnn nmennnara 1X711 nnpil tll6 eVCS 01
the people to the influence exerted by w
traflicers in war material. They do not want peace
and hence the outcry against peace made by tn
papers which they control. But peace will com
in spite of them.
INTERESTED IN WAR
The big jingo newspapers that are under the
influence of munition manufacturers aro
at all pleased with thO President's appeal to u
nations to state their peace terms. They au
want peace; tho war is too profitable.
c.
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