The Commoner
JULY, 1918
President Outlines War Aims
XT MUST BE RATIFIED -
At a great international Fourth of July cele
bration at Mount Vernon; home of George Wash
incton Juiy 4, president Wilson, in a notable
address, outlined the aims and objects, sought in
the present world war. The President's speech
in full was as follows: '
"Gentlemen of the diplomatic corps and my
fellow citizens:
"I am happy to draw apart with you to this
quiet place of old counsel in order to speak a
little of the meaning of this day of our nation's
independence. The place seems very still and
remote. It is as serene and untouched by the
worry of the world as it was in those great days
long ago when General Washington was here
and held leisurely conference with the men who
were to be associated with him in the creation
of a nation. From these gentle slopes they
looked out upon the world and saw it whole,
saw it with the light of the future upon it,
saw it with modern eyes that turned away a
past which men of liberal spirits could no longer
endure. It is for that reason that we can not
feel, even here in the immediate presence of
this sacred tomb, that this is a place of death.
It was a place of achievement. A great prom
ise that was meant for all mankind was here
given plans and reality. The associations by
which we are here surrounded are the iuspir
ing associations of that noble death which is
only a glorious consummation. From this green
hill side we ought to be able to see with com
prehending eyes the world that lies about us
and should conceive anew the purposes that
must set men free.
"It is significant significant of their own
character and purpose and of the influences they
were setting afoot that Washington and his
associates like the barons of Runnymede, spoke
and acted not for class, but for a people. It
has been left for "us to see to it that it shall be
understood that they spoke "and acted not for a
single people only,J)ut for all mankind. They
were thinking, not of themselves and of the ma
terial interests which centered in the little group
of landowners and merchants, men of affairs
with whom they were accustomed to act, in Vir
ginia and the colonies to the north and south
of her, but of a people which wished to be done
with classes and special interests and the au
thority of men whom they had not themselves
chosen to rule over them. They entertained
no private purpose, desired no peculiar privilege.
They were conspicuously planning that men of
every class should be free and America a place
to which men out of every nation might resort
who wished to share with them the rights and
privileges of free men. And we take our cue
from them do we not? We intend what they
intended. We here in America believe our par
ticipation in this present war to be only the
fruitage of what they planted. Our case dif
fers from theirs only in this, that it is our in
estimable privilege to concert with men out of
every nation what shall make not only the lib
erties of America secure, but the liberties of
every other people as well. We are happy in
jw thought that e are permitted to do what
jjey would have done had they been in our
pwce. There now must be settled once for all
jnat was settled for America in the great age
upon whose inspiration we draw today. This is
iinn a fitting place from wllich calmly to loolc
fnr if Ur task tllat we may fortify our spirits
nrinl? a.ccomPHsliment. And this is the appro
frfeni P 1 from Vfhich t0 avow, alike to the
wS look on and to the friends with
actZ Wn haVG tlie llaPPiness to be associated in
act. faith and PurPS0 with which we
senSeS0 great obects can be put into a single
based ,Ln hat we seolc JB tlie rein of law'
Bushing 1 1 10 consent of Jhe governed and
"T ,c y tlle oreanized opinion of mankind,
fiebatw S?at ends can nt be achieved by
modatft , w seekine to reconcile and accom
Projects t esmen may wish, with their
opportunitv balances of Power and of national
determinnM They can bo realized only by the
the 2? .f what the thinking peoples of
taUce . and 5Sre' ?h their longin hPe for
"I can 5L .8,ocial freodom and opportunity.
e accftnS J that the aIr of this Place carries
kindness nSr 8uch Principles with" a peculiar
a here were started forces which the
great nation against which they were primarily
directed at first regarded as a revolt against its
rightful authority but which it has long 'Since
seen to have been a step in the liberation of its
own people as well as of the people of the United
States and I stand here now to speak speak
proudly and with confident hope of the spread
of this revolt, this liberation, to the great stage -of
the world itself. The blinded rulers of Prus
sia have roused forces they knew little of
forces which, once roused, can never be crushed
to earth again. For they have at their heart
an inspiration and a purpose which are death
less and of the very stuff of triumph.
"This, then is our conception of the great
struggle in which we are engaged. The plot is
written plain upon every scene and every act
of the supreme tragedy, on the one hand stand
the peoples of the world not only the peoples
actually engaged, but many others also who
suffer under mastery but can not act; peoples
of many races and in every part of the world;
the peoples of stricken Russia still, among the
rest, though they are . for the moment unor
ganized and helpless, opposed to them. Masters
of many armies, stand an isolated, friendless
. group of governments who speak no common
purpose but only selfish ambitions of their own
by which none can profit but themselves, and
whose peoples are fuel in their hands; govern
ments which fear their people and yet are for
the time their sovereign lords, making every
choice .for them and disposing of their lives and
fortunes as they will, as well as of the lives and
fortunes of every people who fall under their
power governments clothed with the strange
' trappings and primitive authority of an age that
is altogether alien, and hostile to our own. The
past and the present are in deadly grapple and
the peoples of the world are being done to death
between them.
"There can be but one issue. Tlie settlement
must be final. Therte can be no compromise.
No half-way decision would be tolerable; no
half-way decision is conceivable. These are. the
ends for which the associated peoples of the
world are fighting, and which must be conceded
them before there can be peace.
"1. The destruction of every arbitrary power
anywhere than can separately, secretly, and of
its single choice disturb the peace of the world;
or, if it can not be presently destroyed, at the
least its reduction to virtual impotence.
"2. The settlement of every questiont whether
of territory or sovereignty, of economic arrange
ment, or of political relationship, upon the basis
of the free acceptance of that settlement by the
people immediately concerned, and not upon the
basis of the material interest or advantage of
any other nation or people which may desire a
different settlement of its own exterior influence
or mastery.
"3. The consent of all nations to be governed
in their conduct towards each other by the same
principles of honor and of respect for the com
mon law of civilized society that govern the In
dividual citizens of all modern states in their
relations with one another; to the end that all
promises and covenants may be sacredly ob
served, no private plots or conspiracies hatched,
no selfish injuries wrought with impunity and
a mutual trust established upon the handsome
foundation of a mutual respect for right.
"4. The establishment of an organization of
peace which shall make it certain that the com
bined power of free nations will check every in
vasion of right and serve to make peace and
justice the more secure by affording a definite
tribunal of opinion to which all must submit,
and by which every international readjustment
that can not be amicably agreed upon by the
peoples directly concerned shall be sanctioned."
Nebraska democrats would do well to scan
very carefully the ticket that will be presented
to them at the August primaries. The brewers
of the nation are working through one faction
of the democracy of the state for the purpose of
preventing the ratification by the next legisla
ture of the national prohibitory amendment.
Nobody but progressives ought to be put on
guard, and the certain sign of a progressive
democrat is his pledge that if elected he will
favor ratification.
Tune The King's Business.
Words by MraWUliam Jennings Bryan.
The states are free to say
They will be dry for aye,
For congress passed an act
That makes our hopes a factr
With power to right the. wrong,
With voices clear and strong", - .
The Temp'ranco forces sing this song:
Chorus.
This is tho message that we bring,
Oh, make the very welkin ring:
It must be ratified,
It can be ratified, N
It shall be ratified this year.
To save our boys from sin,
To give them strength to win
The battles o'er the sea,
Where many perils be;
To save the homes wo love,
To guide our thoughts above,
The Temp'rance forces sing this song:
Chorus.
' Then work from sea to sea
And make the country free;
Vote for the men who stand
For home and native land.
To ev'ry candidate
.In ev'ry doubtful state
The Temp'rance forces sing this song:
Chorus.
.
.,
WAR PROHIBITION COMING
Postponement of final action on war iTohibi
tion until after tho congressional recess was
agreed upon by senate leaders. Assurances given
by the dry leaders point to a victory for
the temperai.ee forces upon tho reconvening of
congress in August. A Washington, D. C. dis
patch, dated July 13, follows: "National prohibK
tlon legislation was postponed by congress today
until August 26, at least.
"In arranging for a midsummer vacation, a
formal unanimous consent agreement was en
tered into by the senate to defer until August
26, further consideration of the $11,000,000
emergency food production bill, containing the
amendment for "bone dry" wartime prohibition,
qfl'ective New Year's day. As a part of the
agreement, however, the prohibition advocates
secured the definite pledge that the bill shall
have right-of-way when tho vacation recess pe
riod of the senate ends.
"Senators on both sides of the fight expressed
complete satisfaction with the arrangement
made after many day's spirited negotiation.
"The prohibition advocates are confident that
they have a majority to keep in the bill some
kind of a drastic wartime production provision
soon after vacation ends. Opponents are hope
full that during the coming weeks there may be
developments to defeat or modify the legislation."
The latest news from the Italian front?- coupled
with the stories of internal disorders in Austria,
is likely to Induce Emperor Charles to look up
the present address of his old friend, Prince
Sixtus. . '
THEY HAVE NOT DIED IN VAIN
They have not died in vain
Those soldier lads who left their tasks and play
At Freedom's call, who smiling marched away
From home and loved, to hold hell's tribes at
bay!
They have not died in vain:
Though now they rest beneath the quiet sod,
A million men shall walk the path they trod
Because they fell adventurers for God!
They have not died in vain:
Their cold lips speak; the whole world hear
their cry,
"To arms! to arms!" The whole world given
reply:
"By these dead heroes Freedom shall not die!"
-s-Thomas Curtis Chirk, in Living ChurcJ-N
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