Middletown transcript., 1916-06-03
WILSON DEFINES
PEACE PLAN
U. s. Must Be a Participant in
Scheme for World Peace.
TWO FUNDAMENTAL RULES
Declares America Has Vital Interest
In Wars End and That Secret
Diplomacy Must Come
To a Stop.

shington.-President Wilson de-
clared here Saturday night before the
League to Enforce Peace that the
United States was ready to join in any
feasible association of nations to pre-
serve the peace of the world against
political ambition and selfish hos
Utility" and in service of a common
order, a common justice and COM
mon peace.
He expressed the hope that the
terms of peace which end the present
war would include such an arrange
ment.
Outlining suggestions for peace,
which the President said he hoped the
United States would make, if it has op-
portunity to do so, he included pro-
vision for absolute freedom of the seas,
a contention which has been the key
stone of all the diplomatic discussions
with Germany and Great Britain, and
virtual guarantees Of territorial in
tegrity 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 formal media
tory offer, with the idea, it was under
stood of learning how such sugges-
tions would be received abroad.
Il am sure" said the President, that
the people of the United States would
wish their Government to move along
these lines:
First, such a settlement with regard
to their own immediate interests 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 in
terest is only in peace and its future
guarantees.
Second, universal association of
the nations to maintain the inviolate
security Of the highway of the seas for
the common and unhindered use of all
the nations Of the world, and to pre-
vent any war begun either contrary to
treaty covenants or without warning
and full submission of the causes to
the opinion of the world-a virtual
guarantee Of territorial integrity and
political independence"
The fundamentals of lasting peace.
President Wilson said he believed
were:
First, that every people has right
to choose the sovereignty under which
they shall live. Like other nations"
the President said, I'VE have ourselves
no doubt once and again offended
against that principle when for little
while controlled by selfish passion, as
our franker historians have been hon
orable enough to admit; but it has be-
come more and more our rule Of life
and action.
Rights OF Small States.
Second, that the small states Of the
world have right to enjoy the same
respect for their sovereignty and for
their territorial integrity that great and
powerful nations expect and insist upon.
And, third, that the world has
right to be free from every disturbance
of its peace that has its origin in ag-
gression and disregard of the rights of
peoples and nations"
IF this war has accomplished moth
ing else for the benefit of the world"
said he, ''it has at least disclosed
great moral necessity and set forward
the thinking of the statesmen of the
world by whole age. Repeated utter
ances of the leading statesmen Of most
OF the great nations now engaged in
war have made it plain that their
thought has come to this, that the prin-
ciple Of public right must henceforth
take precedence over the individual in
terests of particular nations, and that
the nations 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 set up against
alliance, understanding against under
standing, but that there must be a COM
mon agreement for a common object,
and that at the heart of that common
object must lie the involiable rights of
peoples and of mankind"
so sincerely do we believe in these
things" said the President in conclu-
sion. that l am sure that l speak the
mind and wish of the people of Amer
lea 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 objects and
make them secure against violation"