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Commoner
JANUARY, 1018
nd people associated together against the im
perialists. We can not be separated in interest
or divided in purpose. We stand together until
the end.
FIGHT UNTIL THE END
"For such arrangements and covenants we are
willing to fight and to continue to fight until
they are achieved; but only because we wish the
right to prevail and desire a just and -stable
peace such as can be secured only by removing
the chief provocations to war wiich this program
does remove. We have no jealousy of German
greatness and there is nothing in this program
that impairs it. We grudge her no achievement
or distinction of learning or of pacific enterprise
such as have made her record very bright and
very enviable. We do not wish to injure her or
to block in any way her legitimate influence or
power. Wo do not wish to fight her either with
arms or with hostile arrangements of trade, if
she is willing to associate herself with us and
the other peace loving nations of the world in
covenants ,of justice and law and fair dealing..
We wishher only to accept a place of equality
among the peoples of the world the new world
in which we now live instead of a place of
mastery.
'"Never do we presume to suggest to her any
alteration or modification of her institutions.
But it is necessary' we must frankly say and
necessary .as a preliminary to any intelligent
dealings with her on "our part, that we should
knpw whom her spokesmen speak for when they
speak to us, whether for the reichstag majority
or for the military party, and the men whose
creed is imperial domination.
"We have spoken now, surely, in terms too
concrete to admit of any further doubt or ques
tion. An evident principle- runs through the
whole program I have outlined. It is the prin
ciple of justice to all peoples and nationalities
and their right to lixp on equal terms' of liberty
and safety with one another, whether they be
strong or weak. Unless this principle be made
its foundation no part of the structure of inter
national justice can stand. The people of the
United States could .act. upon no other principle
and to the vindication of this principle they aire
ready to devote their lives, their honor and
everything that they possess. The moral climax
of this, the culminating and final war for human
liberty has come, and they are ready to put their
own strength, their own highest purpose, their
own integrity and devotion to the test,'
GREAT BRITAIN'S WAR AIMS AS TOLD BY
LLOYD GEORGE
A London cablegram, dated Jan. 5, bays: Vital
K points in the definition of Great Britain' war
aims by Prime Minister Lloyd George, in an ad
dress to the trades unions of the Uiiited King
dom, are:
We are fighting for a just and lasting peace.
Three conditions must be fulfilled:
Firstly The sanctity of treaties re-established.
-
Secondly Territorial settlements based on
tha right of self-determination or the consent of
the governed.
Thirdly" -Creation of an international organ
ization to limit' armaments ami diminish the
'probability of war. -
We are not fighting to destroy the German
constitution;
We are" not fighting a war of aggression
against the German people.;. Our
wish is not to destroy German's great position
in the "world but to turn lier aside trom schemes
of military domination.
0- We demand complete restoration,
political, territorial and economic, of the inde
pendence of Belgium, .with such reparation a"s
can be made.
Restoration of Serbia, Montenegro and the
occupied parts of France, Italy and Rpumania.
'We mean to stand by the- French democracy
to the death in the demand they make for a rer
consideration of the great wrong of '71 when
Alsace-Lorraine was torn away. , .
Although we agree with President Wilson
that theireaking up of Austria-Hungary is not
a part of our war ainrt, we feel, that unless gen
uine self-government on true democratic prin
ciples iff granted those Austro-Hungarian na
tionalities who have long desired U. it is impossible-hb'le-f
or removal of those causes 6? un
rest inthat'part of Europe- which so long, have
threatened 4ts genuine peace. .
While we do not challenge maintenance of the
' . ' )
Turkish empire in the home lands of the Turk-'
ish race, with it capital Constantinople the
passage between the Mediterranean and the
Black Sea belngr internationalized Arabia, Ar
menia, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine are
entitled to recognition of their separate national
conditions.
An independent Poland, comprising all gen
uinely Polish elements, is necessary to the sta
bility of Europe.
The inhabitants of the African colonies must
be placed under an administration acceptable
to themselves for the purpose of preventing ex
ploitation for the benefit of European capital
ists ahd European governments.
We should be proud to fight to the end side
by side with the new Russian democracy. So
would America, France and Italy. But
Russia can only be saved by her own people.
A MONUMENTAL VICTORY
From The Raleigh, N. C, News and Observer,
Dec. 18, 1917.
As was generally expected, the house of rep
resentatives yesterday adopted by more than
the required majority the motion to submit to
the states the national prohibition amendment.
The action of the house was forecast last August '
when the senate, also by more than the required
majority, gave its sanction to the submission of
the amendment. Sentiment for national prohi
bition has been growing with astonishing rapid
ity ever since the beginning of the war, and the
growth was accelerated when the United States
became a participant in the world struggle.
Vigorous efforts to accomplish the dejteat of
the resolution were made. It was claimed that
it would mean the policing of the states by fed
eral officers, but in answer to this it was pointed
out that federal assistance in enforcing liquor
laws had been in "effect in the states for many
years without undesirable results.
It was claimed further, that national prohlbi- '
tlbn would be an invasion of state's rights, but
as the south, where the principle of state's rights
was' most strongly entrenched showed by the.
stand of its congressmen that it regarded liquor
as an evil that knew no state lines, but threw
its sinister influence athwart the whole country
so long as it had a grip on any appreciable part
of it, this argument also failed tq convince.
Another argument wao that the" working man
was bitterly oppbsed to national prohibition, that
ue had to have' his beer and that he would be
terribly dissatisfied if it was denied him. This,
was to forget that laboring inenare divided
over the beer juBt as other people are. Not all
laboring men by any means regard beer as neces
sary to their happiness, an' it is a safe bet 'that
taking the wives of laboring men into account,
labor would muster more anti-beer people than
pro-beer advocates.
. Other arguments were advanced, but they
could not stem the tide of the rapidly growing
popular demand for a final knock-out blow for
-liquor.
It is gratifying to North Carolinians that a
North Carolinian, Representative E. Y. Webb,
led the fight in the house for the, adoption of the
resolution. Mr. Webb has been a' consistent, able
and fearless advocate of prohibition from the
beginning of his public career, his name is in
separably cdnnejsted with the Webb-Kehyon law
as well as with the action of the house yester
day. All legislation in congress intended to
lossen the gr!p of liquor has had his; vigorous
and effective support. He has been a tower of
strength to the prohibition cause.
It was very fitting, too, that Hon. W. J. Bryan
should have been a co-recipient with Mr,Webb
of congratulations yesterday after the vote on
the prohibition resolution, No one man has
wielded so powerful an influence for a dry na
tion as Mr. Bryan. Since his resignation from
the office of secretary of state he has given
much of his time to the prohibition movement
and his influence has been Immensely valuable
to the cause. The action of congress is further
vindication of his wisdom and foresight and his
work for prohibition will rank in value ahd' im
portance with that which he has done for the
election of senators by the direct Vote of the
people, the income tax, tariff and banking re
form and other legislation aimed to benefit the
rank and file of the people.
Yesterday's victory 'as monumental in its sig
nificance. It marked the beginning of the end
of the menace of liquor.
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WOMAN SUFFRAGE WINS IN HOUSE
A Washington dispatch dated Jan. 10,
says: Woman suffrage by federal con
stitutional amendment won in the house
tonight with oxactly the required num-'
be? of affirmative votes. While mem
bers in thoir seats and throngs in, thq, ;.
galleries -waited with eager interest, the"
house adopted by a v6to of 274 to i;iir)
a resolution providing for submission tp
the states of the So-called Susan B,
Anthony amendment for nati6nal cri-
franchlsement of women. But for th3;t1
promise of Speaker Clark to east his"17
vote from the chair for the resolutibVto
if It was needed, the change of a 'single-'0
vote to the opposition would have' meant" s)
defeat. Republican Leader Marin,- who'
came from a Baltimore hospital," where''''
he had boon iirulnr trnntmonf vfr' nlrtnn 'fi
congress convened, and Representative" t)
Sims of Tennessee, just out of "a ; jJlck '
bod, and hardly able to walk to his seatf"1 '
brought the votes which settled the iS 'to
sue.
FIGHT NEXT, -IN THE SENATE )
The house hardly had adjourned be-"'
fore the suffrage champion's began their'
fight for favorable action on the senate '
side of the capitol. Recent polls there
have Indicated that the necessary two- ()
thirds vote could not be mustered, but ()
encouraged by the house victory ahd '
counting upon the Influence of Presi-
dent Wllsori, who came to their Bupporfc '
last night, "the suffragists hope to bring
the senate into line so far as 16 have the
amendment before state legislatures
& during the criming yqar. They Wei sur',"
at least of forcing a Vote In tfrb' sonata ''
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before ther present session ends.'
PRESIDENT INDORSES. WOMAN ,p1
' MTTrnr rtn 1. t . T
SUFFRAGE ' " ' '
C A Washington dispatch, dated Jam
v $ sas: President Wilson late today told ' -
a delegation of' house leaders that 1iq
' favored enactment of the Susan B. An-
thony federal suffrage amendment and
would make clear his position in a state- -
ment which he Issued tonight.
After a forty-minute conference with
the President, the congressmen issued
this statement: , ,'
- "The committee found that the Presi- .
dent had not felt at liberty to volunteer .
his advice to members of congress in
this important matter, but when .wo.
sought his advice he very frankly, and, ,.,
earnesuy .aaviseu .us 10 yoie ior, ine t iv
amendment as an act of right and justice , ;
to the women of the country and of the ,,
world." ' ',.
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LETTERS FROM COMMONER READER&
H. S. Case? Ind. Find enclose 'drafY for$3
to pay for five yearly subscribers,.. an ' tnty
five eents additional' to pay for . exJtra( copies, (of
the December number. i " V ' ', .
R. C. Anderson, Oregon Herewith pad post
office money order to pay for the eqclpseif fiwb
of six subscribers. , t . 't ,
9eo. W. Pratt, Mo, -I enclose $3 to 'pay, 'for
five subscriptions. Have always appreciated (fie
work, of Mr. Bryan and hope he wljl live tohejp
bring about lasting peace along the .lines hejias
advocated for years. , ,,,, '
,VQ
Col. James R. Campbell, III.7 I enclose ,
you a club of eight subscriptions, includ- ;-
ing my own, to The Commoner To,.,
show hqw popular Colonel Bryan's
paper is with our people, I only solicit-, i
ed seven persons to subscribe and-not -
one refused. I had the plea&ure .ofservo
ing as colonel of the 9th Illinois in the.,
same brigade as Colonel Bryan, in the. v
Spanish-American war, and from my perb: .
aonal relations with liim I regard hira
as one of the greatest statesmen thatwec?
have, . " - j : u 1 ;i
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