The Elbert County tribune., 1916-06-02
WILSON PROPOSES TERMS TOENDWAR
President u Ready Sign Agreement With
World Believes Nations Eagerly Awaiting
End Conflict Danish Forever

the United States in this vital matter
This great war that broke 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
We are not only at liberty, 1t Is per-
maps our duty to speak very frankly
OF IT and OF the great interests OF
civilization which 1t affects.
with its causes and its objects we
are not concerned. The obscure foun-
tains from which its stupendous flood
had burst forth we are not interested
to search for or explore. But SO great
flood, spread far and wide to every
quarter OF the globe. has of necessity
engulfed many a fair province of
right that lies very near to us.
Our Own Rights Affected.
Our own rights as a nation. the
liberties, the privileges and the prop
erty of our people have been pro-
foundly affected. We are not mere
disconnected lookers-on. The longer
the war lasts. the more deeply do we
become concerned that II should be
brought to an end and the world be
permitted to resume it's normal 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 prom
Use of days from which the anxiety
OF uncertainty shall be lifted, bring
some assurance that peace and war
shall always hereafter be reckoned
part of the common interest OF man
kind.
I'VE are participants, whether we
would or not, in the life of the world.
The interests of all nations are our
own aleo. We are partners With the
rest. What affects mankind I, inevi-
tably our affair as we'll as the affair
OF the nations of Europe and of Asia.
Secret counseIs Planned.
"One observation on the causes of
the present war we are at liberty to
make. and to make It NAV 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 discussion. with
out any of the deliberate movements
of counsel with which II would seem
natural to approach SO stupendous
contest.
II is probable that II 1t had been
foreseen tust what would happen. Just
what alliances would be formed, just
what forces arrayed against one an
other. those who brought the great
contest would have been glad to sub
stitute conference for force.
'If we ourselves had been afforded
some opportunity to spprise the bel
liperer's of the attitude OF which II
would be our duty to take. OF the pol
icies and practices against which we
would feel bound to use all our moral
pnd econowic strength. and In GER
tain circumstances even our physical
strength also. our own contribution to
the counsel which might have avert ed
the strreoIe would have been cona'd-
cred worth weighing and regarding.
New Code for Nations.
And the lesson which the shock OF
being taken by surprise in matter
SO deeply vital to all the nations Of
the world has made poignantly clear.
is. that the peace OF the world must
henceforth depend upon new and
more wholesome diplomacy.
"Only when the great nations of
the world have reached some sort OF
agreer ent as to what they hold to be
fundamental to their common inter
acting in concert when any nation or
group of nations seeks to disturb
those fundamental things, can we
feel that civilization is at last In a
way of justifying its existence and
claiming to be finally established. 1t
is clear that nations nust. in the fu-
ture, be governed by the same high
code OF honor that we demand of in
dividuals
I'VE must. indeed. in the very same
breath with which we avow this con-
viction admit that we have ourselves
uron occasion in the past been offend
ers against the law of diplomacy
which we thus forecast: but our con-
viction is Evt the less clear, but
rather. the more clear. on that ac-
count.
Foresees Great Change.
But | did not come here to repeat
a program. | came only to avow a
creed and give expression to the con
fidence that ! feel that the world is
now upon the eve of great consum-
mation. when some common force