The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-08-31

create a permanent hostile combine
ton of nations against the German
people, who are its instruments; ant
would result in abandoning the new
born Russia to the intrigue, the mar.
fold subtle interferences, and the Ger.
tain counter revolution which would
be attempted by all the maiIgn iniiu.
ences to which the German Govern.
ment has of late accustomed the world
Can peace be based upon a restitution
Of its power or upon any word of hon
or it could pledge in a treaty of SCI.
tlement and accommodation?
Responsible statesmen must now
everywhere see, if they never saw be-
fore, that no peace can rest securely
upon political or economic restrictions
meant to benefit some nations and
cripple and embarrass others, upon
vindictive action of any sort, or any
kind Of revenge or deliberate injury.
The American people have suffered in
tolerable wrongs at the hands of the
Imperial German Government, but de-
sire no reprisal upon the German peo-
pie, who have themselves suffered all
things in this war, which they did not
choose. ley believe that peace should
rest upon the rights of peoples, not
the rights Of governments-th rights
Of peoples great or small, weak or
powerful-their EQUAL right to
freedom and security and self-gov-
eminent and to a participation upon
fair terms in the economic opportuni-
ties Of the world-the German people,
of course, included, if they will accept
equality and not seek domination.
The test, therefore, of every plan Of
peace is this: Is it based upon the
faith Of all the peoples involved or
merely upon the word of an ambitious
and intriguing government, on the
one hand, and a group Of free peoples,
on the other? This is test which
goes to the root of the matter; and it
Is the test which must be applied
The purposes of the United States
in this war are known to the whole
World-to every people to whom the
truth has been permitted to come.
They do not need to be stated again.
We seek no material advantage of any
kind. We believe that intolerable
done in this war by the fur
lous and brutal power of the Imperial
German Government ought to be re-
paired, but not at the expense of the
sovereignty of any people-rather a
of the sovereignty, both
Of those that are weak and those that
are strong. Punitive damages, the
dismemberment of empires, the es-
of selfish and exclusive |
economic leagues, we deem inexpedi- |
ent and in the end worse than futile,
no proper basis for a peace of any
kind, least of all for an enduring |
peace. They must be based upon JUS
tice and fairness and the common
rights of mankind.
We cannot take the word of the |
present rulers of Germany as a guar
antee Of anything that is to endure, |
unless explicitly supported by such
conclusive evidence of the will and
purpose of the German people them
selves as the other peoples of the |
world would be justified in accepting. |
Without such guarantees, treaties of |
agreements for disarma-
nent, covenants to set up arbitration
n the place Of force, territorial adj
ustments, reconstitutions of small |
nations, if made with the German
Government, no man, no nation could
low depend on. We must await some
lew evidence of the purpose of the
great peoples of the central powers.
Tod grant it may be given soon and
n way to restore the confidence of
ii peoples everywhere in the faith of
nations and the responsibility of a
ovenanted peace.
ROBERT LANSING,
Secretary of State Of the United
States of America.