Show r- r S. S 4 Keep the Record Clear WHEN PT HEN a criminal comes into court ho is asked for for vy his plea Many Inny of them begin with a supplementary I i explanation They do not get very far however before before be he- fore they are halted b by the court At the outset the court is concerned only with the plea and explanations arc beside tho the issue S So it is with Gennan Germany and her allies When tile they signified their willingness cs to come into court the they were asked for their pleas picas Thus rims far they have given ghen us US' nothing but supplementary explanations They have o neither admitted their guilt gunt nor claimed their innocence Nevertheless tho the c civilized world knows that lint the crime lu hits has s he hen n committed S The criminals are to be pun punished shed Jt t is time for us ns 10 to insist that the pleas be he entered Just now wo vo tire arc tireS S concerned with tho the crime Tho Thu prisoners s before the t I bar ar want to introduce their character witnesses before j r I. we wc take their pleas plem Tho They want to ho bo punished on what i j they thie will promise to be in the fut lc In a word they i i want to be judged for their promises and antI not for their 1 crimes crime f Let the tho American people help to keep t tile the e record clear dear Let t us demand demaud that Germany and her allies submit submit submit sub sub- mit their pleas before wo we pause t to t take ke further flOn manY mony If Germany and her allies cannot throw themselves them- them j selves sees on tho the merc mercy of the court the court ca not af- af S f lord to proceed further with their theu cases Someone 1 must mst be trusted in this crisis and wo cannot trust Ger- Ger to many nor her allies H Il they cannot trust the civilized J. J world then they are arc not seeking seeking- justice hut but advantage 1 Until the tue central powers 6 plead with a an refuse to soil the rf record with their surrender let letl al nl l us I testimony ft |