The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-09-24

Washington, Sept. %. - Presiden
Wilson is entertaining gigantic plar
for world peace. He hopes to bring Il
to the attention Of the world whe1
the warning nations of Europe appear
to have reached the psychological mo
ment to make it's adoption and applica
ton successful. For that moment ht
now is watchfully waiting.
No detail of Mr.. Wilson's plan have
been made public It is considered
probable that he has in mind genera
disarmament proposal, but he has no
said so. In this direction he has gone
only far enough to let it be known
that he hopes to bring about plan o.
peace that will envelop the civilized
world.
At this time the president has NJ
hope that any Of the fighting govern
ments would listen. Even should the
informal proposals he has made lately
bear fruit, and the war thereby be
stopped, he has no faith that the peace
would be lasting. In fact he feels al
most certain that, within a short time
the combatants again would be at each
others threats. Therefore he waits
Sometime, he Is sure, one side or the
other in the great war will be de-
feated crushingly; or II not that some
time all the peoples at war must be-
come exhausted.
When either of these events takes
place, the president OF the United
States contemplates calling a world
congress for the Punishment Of wal
from this earth for all time. Until
one Of these events occurs. 1t is un'
likely that he will take any further
steps looking toward mediation.
Viewed from this aspect, it is stated
by those in the presidents confidence,
he perceives the possibility that won
derful and permanent blessing to all
mankind may spring out OF the horrors
now devastating the old world. There
is excellent reason to believe Mr.. Viii.
son already has sounded certain great
governments, notably American gov.
ernments, for the purpose of arranging
the preliminary steps for the organi'
zation Of the world peace congress he
contemplates. That he will have their
support IS indicated by certain infor
nation circulating among diplomatic
officials here.
President Wilson has made one
formal offer of mediation and he has
made one informal inquiry to the same
end. He did this because, under the
Hauge convention, It was his duty. II
still will be his duty to ernew the ten
der whenever he receives intimation
from those at war that it would be
welcome. But at no time has he failed
to appreciate the hopelessness of what
he did. There Is no doubt that thu
president believes this war will have
to be fought to f1nish-a fnist
either of victory and defeat, or total
exhaustion.
What form his eventual proposal will
take there is no way of knowing at the
present time, but the fact that thu
Bryan peace treaties are being pushed
even while war extends through I
large portion Of the civilized worlt
and among the nations whose adher
ence to the treaties Is necessary tt
their success, is taken as an indica
ton that they may be considered il
the plan.
The part the United States woul'
play in disarmament is simple com
pared with what would have to har
pen in Europe. We point to the fac
that our army at present is merely
police force and that our navy Is no
more than defensive force whic
threatens nobody.
There is only one point at which
proposal from US to disarm would loo
inconsistent and that is our heavy To-
tifications Of the Panama canal. For,
ign nations might ask US what "
mean by proposing disarmament t
them while We continue to hoist tn
largest guns along waterway SUI
posed to be open to all on equal term
It Is suggested in some quarters thu
the Notifications might, after all, pla
a useful role in disarmament If v
we're ready to use that trading stocl
that is, to knock them down whe
Europe knocked down her barriers an
fortresses and reduced her standin
armies.
But whatever the actual plan, II
fact seems to be that the president
thinking, not about partial peace I
temporary peace, but Of the peace thu
will take into consideration the RICH
Of all nationa and which will nrecluf