The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-28

iigercnts OF the attitude which II
would be our duty 10 take. of 1he poll
cfes and practices against which We
would feel bound to use all our moral
and economic strength, and in GER
tain circumstances even our physical
strength also, onr own contribution
to the counsel which might have
averted the. struggle would have been
considered both weighing and regard
ing:
Hcsson OF shock Is Taught,
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 oignaftly clear
Is. that the peace Of the world must
heneeforth depend upon a new and
more wholesome diplomacy:
"Oniy when the great nations OF the
would have reached some sort OF
agreement as to what they hold to be
fundamental to their corntn5r interest
and AZ te some feasible method OF
acting In concert when any nation
or group of nations seeks to disturb
these fundamental things can we feel
that civilization is at last In way
of justifying its existence and claim
ing to be finally established.
Mist BE Governed by High Gede of
Honor.
at IL clear that nations must in
future he governed by the same high
code of homer that We demand of
individuals
I'VE must indeed, In the very same
breath with which we view this con-
victien. admit that we have ourselves
upon occasions In The past been of
tenders against the law uf diplomacy
which we thus forecast but our con-
vlction In not the less clear, bat rather
the more clear, on that account
IF this war has accomplished moth
ing else for the benefit of the world,
1t has at least disclosed q great moral
necessity and set forward the think
ing Of the Statesmen of the world by
a whole age.
Public Right Must Rule.
Repeated utterances of the lead
Ing statesmen of most of the great
nations now engaged In war have made
1t plain that their thoughts have come
to this. that the principle of public
right must henceforth take preee-
dence over the individual interests of
particular nations and that the ma
tons of the world must in some way
band themselves together to see that
that right prevails as against any
sort of selfish aggression; that hence
forth alliance must not be set up
against alliance, understanding against
understanding. but that there must
be common agreement for COM
mon object, ana that at the heart of
that common object must lie the in
violable rights OF peoples and of man.
kind.
Tho nations of the world have be-
come each others neighbors. It In to
their Interest that they ahould under
stand each Othar In Ntas
may understand each other, 1t In i'm
peracve that they should agree to CO.
operate IN a common cause and that
they should so act that the guiding
principle of that common cause shall
be evsn-handed and impartial Justice.
This Is undoubtedly the thought of
America That ia what we ourselves
Will say when there comes proper
occasion to say IT.
Arbitrary Force Must He Rejected.
In the dealings Of nations with one
another. arbitrary force must be re-
1ected and we must move forward to
the thought of the modern world. the
thought of which peace Ia the very
atmosphere. That thought CONSTITUTED
a chief part OF the passionate con-
viction OF America.
I'VE believe these fundamental
things:
| rnst- Inat every people has
| right to choose the sovereigns
| under which they shall live. lake
other nations, we have ourselves.
| no doubt, once and again Offend -
| ed against that principle when
| for little while CONTROLLED by
seifiish passion. rs our franker
historians have been honorable
enough to admit; but IL has be-
come moro and more our rule OF
life and action.
| Second. That the small States
OF the world have a right to en-
Joy the same respect for their
sovereignty and for their ter
rftorfal integrity that great and
powerful nations expect and insist
upon.
And, Third. That the world has
n right to be free from every dis
turbance OF its peace that has its
origin I'm the aggression and dis
regard OF the rights of peoples,
and nations
| VIII Re Partner In Effort.
so sincerely do we believe in these
things that ] am sure that I spes
the mind and wish Of the people OF
America when l say that the United
States is willing TO become a partner
IN any feasible association of nations
formed in order to realize these oh.
jects and make them secure against
violation.
There Is nothing that the Unite
States wants for itself that any other
nation has. We are willing on the
contrary, to limit ourselves along with
them to prescribed course of duty
and respect for the rights of others
which will check any selfish passion
or our own. as IL will check any ag.
gressiwe impulse OF theirs
IT II should ever be our privilege
to suggest or initiate a movement fol
peace among the nations now at wal
am sure that the people of the United
States would wish their government
70 move along these lines:
First. such "A settlement with re-
gard To their own Immediate inter-
e~ts 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
present quarrel. Our interest In
only i'm peace and its future guar
antees.
| "secOnd. an universal association
A