Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1916-06-02
WILSON FOR PEACE
WORLD ALLIANCE FINDS FAVOR
UNION OF POWERS SHOULD
PASS ON DIFFICULTIES.
FREEDOM OF SEAS URGED
President Declares They Should Be
Open to Unhindered Use Of All
Countries-Address Made Before
League to Enforce Peace.

League to Enforce Peace.
Western Newspaper Union News Service
Washington.-Pres Wilson de-
clared here Saturday night before the
League to Enforce Peace that the
United States was ready to join any
feasible association OF nations to pre-
serve the peace of the world against
political ambition and selfish hostil-
ity" and in service of "a common or
der, common justice and common
| peace" He expressed the hope that
| the present war would include such
an arrangement.
Outlining suggestions for peace,
which the president said he hoped the
United States would make If it has op-
portunity to do, included provision for
absolute freedom of the seas, the con.
tention which has been the keynote
of all the diplomatic discussions with
Germany and Great Britain, and vir-
tual guarantee of territorial integrity
and political independence.
Officials interpreted the presidents
address as preliminary feeler for
peace in Europe. He outlined the con-
ditions on which the United States
would move if it made a formal media
tory offer, with the idea, it was under.
stood, of learning how such sugges-
tions would be received abroad.
Text of the Speech.
Tn full khr, ~
lows:
when the invitation to be here to-
night came to me was glad to accept
it, not because it offered me an oppor-
tunity to discuss the program of the
league-that you will, am sure, not
of the whole world now turns eagerly,
more and more eagerly, towards the
hope of peace, and there is just reason
why we should take our part in coun-
sci upon this great theme. 1t is right
that /, as spokesman of our govern
ment, should attempt to give express
sion to what believe to be the
thought and purpose Of the people of
the United States in this vital matter.
"This great war that spoke so sud-
denly upon the world two years ago
and which has swept within its flame
SO great part of the civilized world,
has affected us very profoundly, and
while we are at liberty it is perhaps
our duty to speak very frankly of it
and Of the great intersests of civiliza-
ton which it affects.
with its causes and its objects we
are not concerned. The obscure foun-
tadns from which it's stupnedous flood
had burst forth we are not interested
to search for or explore. But so great
a food, spread far and wide to every
quarter of the globe, has of necessity
engulfed many fair province of right
that lies very near to us. Our own
rights as nation, the liberties, the
privileges and the property of our peo-
pie have been profoundly affected. We
are not mere disconnected lookers-on.
The longer the war lasts, the more
deeply do we become concerned that
1t should be brought to an end and
the world permitted to resume it's nor.
NAL life and course again. And when
1t does come to an end we shall be
as much concerned as the nations at
war to see peace assume an aspect
of permanence; give promise of days
from which the anxiety of uncertainty
shall be lifted; bring some assurance
that peace and war shall always here
after be reckoned part of the common
interest of mankind. We are partici
pants, whether we would or not, in the
life of the world. The interests of all
nations are our own also. We are part
ners with the rest. What affects man
kind is inevitably our affair as well
as the affair of the nations Of Europe
and of Asia.
"One observation on the causes oi
the present war we are at liberty to
make, and to make it may throw some
light forward upon the future as well
as backward upon the past. It is plain
that this war could have come only
as 1t did, suddenly and out OF secret
counsels, without warning to the
world, without discussions, withou,
any Of the deliberate movements o.
counsel with which it would seem nat
ural to approach SO stupendons con
test. It ID probable that II 1t had beer
foreseen just what would be formed
| just what forces arrayed against ont
another. those who brought the grea
contest on would have been glad I,
have substituted conference for force
Code Of Honor Necessary.
sIf we. ourselves. had been afforded
some opportunity to apprise the bel
ligerents Of the attitude which 1t woult
be our duty to take. our policies an,
| practice. against which we would b,
bound to use our moral and economi,
strength and in certain circumstance,
our physical strength also, our owl
contributions to the counsels whicl
| might have avoided the struggl,
would have been considered wortl
Weighing and regarded. The lessor
which the shock Of being taken b.
| surprise In matter so deeply vital t,
| all the nations sof the world has mad,