Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-24
SPEECHES OF LEADING
STATESMEN TOO VAGUE
Outline of Purposes of Wilson'S
Note Officially Stated for
Administration.
I. S. is ENTITLED TO KNOW
willing to Enter Any Kind of Inter-
national agreement for Per-
manent Guarantees.
I BY Associated Press.1


WASHINGTON. December .3.-1n.
formation as to their exact meanino In
seeking Just and permanent peace"
is the whole purpose OF the note ad-
dressed to all the belliserents by
President Wilson. The United States
desires a full, practical and detailed
statement from each OF tho govern
ments addressed. This outline, and
what follows. was stated officially to-
day for the administration.
This government does not know, and
feels that 1t has no real means or
Knowing. what terms would be re-
0uired by each OF the helligerents to
make peace. 1t regards the recent
speeches OF the leading statesmen in
all countries as vague and Underlined,
and sees nothing In them that would
enable conferences to draw up
treaty. All speak OF the rights OF
small nations, the repugnance OF con-
quest, and tho guarantees OF a per-
manent peace, but no one nation has
yet gone into what it means by those
phrases In a way that the government
of the United states can understand.
Recent press comment has been taken
to enhance that vaEueness. France, for
instance, has not disclosed il what
she considers just peace means the
evacuation OF her northern provinces,
or in addition to that the restoration OF
Alsace Lorraine. or IL in addition to-
both those claims she expects IL money
indemnity for the damage OF invnsion,l
or beyond that if she has an actual
Program for doing away with so o-called
German militarism- In short, the
United States asks what she would
accept to-day as tho basis for peace?:
SIMILAR ISSUES APPLY
IN MERELY VARYING FORM,
Similar issues apply TO all tho
belligerent countries in merely vary
Ing form. What President Wilson
wants is the details. AS tho largest
neutral facing grave problems. and as
the friend OF all parties concerned, the
United States feels most earnestly that
IT is entitled to know those facts. I'm
less some one OF the groups lays down
its actual terms there will be no basis
for negotiation. and no possibility OF.
peace until the world is bled, officials
declare.
The naming OF those terms will form
starting place from wnicn tho con-
fiicting interests can begin to CONVERGE
Nor is any cmbarra SIS mont seen to any
OF the nations In naming such terms.
1t is understood in advance that they.
arc apt to huctuate with the military
changes. and arc not permanently
binding under new conditions What
ever any nation feels must be included
in its terms for moral reasons can
also he added to the terms without
embarrassment. it is said.
AS to permanent guarantees. II was
officially declared that the United
States stands ready to enter any kind
of International agreement that may
seem most desirable to the nations.
whether permanent peace Is to be se-
cured by force, IL necessary or by
law. The country Is not committed
10 any one plan. and President Wilson
is entirely open to suggestions. 1t is
tho administration view that the coun-
try can be committed to an abandon
ment Of the policy Of isolation, such
as President Monroe committed it to
the Monroe Doctrine. without Senate
action. In the plans so far contem-
plated. however. II is probable the
nations would he bound by treaty
agreements which would necessarily
have to he ratified by tho senate, SO
far us the United States is concerned.
EMBARRASSMENT CAUSED
no ALTON
\ fuller understanding of tho en-
barrassmcnt caused to tho administra-
ton by. the coincidence OF its note with
the German proposals was given to-
day, when ii was said that. despite the
early unfavorable effect which tho note
was expected to have in the allied
countries through that fact. IL WAS
decided To risk IT, In view Of tho
greater interests involved II is .ex-,.
pected i, may be some time before
tho American viewpoint will be ac-
ccptcd abroad. but 1t is felt that in
the end it certainly viii prevail
II also stated most emphattcally that
the note was MOI rushed off on Monday
III order To get Premier Lloyd Georg TO-
before he had irrcvocably committed
the allies against peace in his speech
70 Parliament on Tuesday That ass
sumption foreseen, but officials
expect II TO lose weight and import-G
ance as the first Impressions wear off.
The early resentment IN London and
Paris on the assumption that tho Prea-5
idents note declared both bclligerentsS
were hEhting for the same object la
regarded as unwarrantcd at the State
Department. where to-day it was said
great pains had heen taken to avoid
that very Inference.
Stress was laid on the Presidents
words TO show that he had not eS-s
pressed any conviction that both ssss
OF belhgerents were lighting FOR the
same objects. On tho other hand, fhs
language or the note II was pointed
out. specifically said the statesrner, toe
both, groups had so stated their objects
In general terms to tho people ofthe.r