The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-05-28
WILSON WANTS
SEAS FREEDOM
president Declares This Coun-
try is Ready to Join in Any
Feasible League.
FOR PEACE OF THE WORLD
Chief Executive Outlines Sug-
gestions for Peace in an
Address before League.

WASHINGTON, May 27-Presi-
dent Wilson declared here tonight
before the League to Enforce Peace
that the United States was ready to
join In any feasible association of
nations to preserve the peace of the
world, against political" ambition
and Selfish hostility" and in service
of "a common order, common JUS
tice and common peace" He express
the hope that the terms of peace
which ended the present war would
include such arrangement.
Outlining suggestion for peace,
which the president said he hoped
the United States would make If 1t
has the opportunity to do so, he in
cluded provision for absolute free
dom Of the seas, contention about
which has been the keystone Of all
the diplomatic discussions with Ger
many and Great Britain and virtu-
al guarantees of territorial integrity
and political independence" Of
lficials interpreted the presidents ad-
dress as a preliminary feeler for
peace in Europe. He outlined the
conditions on which the United States
would move II it made formal med
iatory offer with the idea, it was un-
derstood, of learning how such sug-
gestions would be received abroad.
II am sure" said the president,
that the people of the United States
would wish their government TO
move along these lines.
"First-such settlement with
regard to their own immediate in
terests as the belligerents may agree
upon. We have nothing material OF
any kind to ask for ourselves and
are quite aware that we are in no
sense or degree parties to the pres
ent quarrel. Our interest Is only in
peace and its future guarantees.
Seas for All Nations.
"Second-An UNIVERSAL association
Of the nations to maintain the invis
olate security of the highway of the
seas for the common and unhindered
use of all the nations of the world,
and to preevnt any war begun either
contrary to treaty covenants or with
out warning and full submission of
the causes to the opinion of the
world-a virtual guarantee OF terri
ritorial integrity and political. 1nde-
pendence.
The fundamentals of lasting
peace, President Wilson said he be-
lieved were:
First, that every people has
right to choose the sovereignty un-
der which they shall live.
Like other nations" the presi
dent said, I'VE have ourselves no
doubt once and again offended
against that principle when for a
little while controlled by selfish pas
sion, as our franker historians have
been honorable enough to admit, but
It has become more and more our
rule Of life and action.
Small States Have Right.
"second-That the small states
OF the world have right to enjoy the
same respect for their sovereignty
and for their territorial integrity
that great and powerful nations ex-
pect and insist upon.
"Third-That. the world has
right to be free from every disturb
ance of its peace that has its origin
in aggression and disregard of the
rights Of peoples and nations"
The outstanding lesson of the
world war the president said had
been that the peace of the world
must hencefort depend upon "a
new and more wholesome diplo-
macy"
Great Moral Necessity.
'If this war has accomplished