Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-22


terms to their own people and to the
world. Each side desires to make the
rights and privileges of weak peoples
and small states as secure against ag-
gression or denial in the future as the
rights and privileges of the great ana
powerful states now at war. Each wishes
itself to be made secure in the future,
along with all other nations and peo-
pies, against the recurrence OF wars
like this and against aggression or
selfish interference of any kind Each
would be jealous of the formation OF
any more rival leagues to preserve an
uncertain balance of power amidst null
tipIying suspicious; but each is ready to
consider the formation of a league OF
nations to insure peace and justice
throughout the world. Before that final
step can be taken, however, each deems
il necessary first to settle the issues of
the present war upon terms which will
certainly safeguard the independence,
the territorial integrity and the politi-
cal and commercial freedom of the ma
lions involved.
INJURY TO CIVILIZATION.
I'm the measures to be taken to Sc
cure the future peace of the world the
people and governments of the United
States are as vitality and as directly in
terested as the governments now at war.
Their interest, moreover in the means
to be adopted to relieve the smaller
and weaker people of the world of the
peril of wrong and violence is as quick
and ardent as that of any other people
or government. They stand ready, and
even eager, to cooperate in the accom-
plishment of these ends, when the war is
over, with every influence and resource
al their command. But the war must
he NH iob
X is to be concluded they are not at
liberty to suggest; but the president
does feel that it is his right and his
duty to point out their intimate interest
in it's conclusion, lest 1t should pres
emily be too late to accomplish the
greater things which lie beyond it's con-
clusion, lest the situation sof neutral
nations, now exceedingly hard to en-
dure, be rendered altogether intolerabla,
and lest. more than all, an injury be
done civilization itself which can never
be atoned for or repaired
THE president therefore feels alto
gether justified in suggesting an imme-
date opportunity for comparison of
views as to the terms which must pre-
cede those ultimate arrangements for the
peace of the world, which all desire and
in which the neutral nations as we'll as
those at war are ready to play their full
responsible part. If the contest must
continue to proceed toward underlined
ends by slow attrition until the one
group of belligerents or the other is ex-
hausted, if million after million of hui
man lives must continue to be offered up
until on the one side or the other there
are no more to offer, If resentments must
be kindled that can never cool and de-
spairs engendered from which there can
be no recovery, hopes of peace and of the
willing concert of free peoples will be
rendered vain and idle. s...
"The life of the entire world has been
profoundly affected. Every part of the
great family of mankind has felt burden
and terror of this unprecedented contest
of arms. No nation in the civilized world
can be said IN truth to stand outside its
influence or to be safe against its dis
turbing effects. And yet the concrete oO-
jects for which it is being waged have
never been dfinitely statd.
1.-THE leaders of the several belliger-
ents have, as has been said, stated those
objects in general terms But, stated in
general terms, they seem the same on
both sides. Never yet have the authori-
tative spokesman of either side acowed
the precise objects which would, if at
tanned, satisfy them and their people
that the war had been fought out.
1.-The world has been left to conJec-
ture what definite results, what actual
exchanges of guarantees, what political
or territorial changes or establishments,
what stage of military success even,
would bring the war TO an end. >, -
"It may be that peace is nearer than
we know; that the terms which the
belligerents on the one side and on
the other would deem it necessary to
insist upon are not so irreconcilable as
some have feared; that an interchange
of views would clear the way at least
for conferences and make the perma-
nent concord of the nations a hope of
the immediate future a concert of ma
tions Immediately practicable.
THE president is not proposing peace;
he is not even offering mediation. He
is merely proposing that soundings be
taken in order that we may learn, the
neutral nations with the belligerent, how
near the haven of peace may be for
which all mankind longs with an in
tense and increasing longing. He be-
lieves that the spirit in which he speaks
and the objects, which he seeks will be
understood by all concerned, and he con-
| fidently hopes for response which will
bring a new light into the affairs of the
| world"
The note to the entente group will be
delivered to Great Britain, France, Italy
! Japan, Russia, Belgium, Montenegro
! Portugal, Rumania and Serbia. That &C
! the central allies will be delivered tic
| Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and
Bulgaria. s.
1t is being delivered to all neutral
governments for their information.