The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-01-24
PRESIDENT WILSON'S NEW PEACE
MOVE.

Nothing could be more futile than to agi-
tate for future peace during the present
war. President Wilson'S speech of Tues
day before the senate, therefore, is more
than an academic discussion of the ques-
ton of whether the United States should
enter world peace league; it is an attempt
to reopen the peace negotiations, or-rather
to further them, for they have never been
closed.
Restitution, indemnity, and guarantees
for the future are the three prerequisites to
peace outlined by the allies Restitution is
practically conceded. Indemnities NAV be
extended or waived-that is a point to be
threshed out at the council table "Guaran-
tees for future peace is more intangible
but none the less real as proved by Eng
lands note, which supplementing the en-
tentes general reply to President Wilson's
note, stressed the point that behind inter-
national law and behind all treaty arrange
ments for preventing or limiting hostilities,
some form of international sanction should
be devised which would give pause to the
hardest aggressor."
In other words, would not the entente
lend more favorable ear to Germany's re-
quest to open negotiations if assured of the
bona fdes of the proposition? But what
e guarantee could they have?
President Wilson suggests the leagie to
enforce peace whereby sno nation should
seek to extend its policy over any other
nation or people, but that every people
should be left free to determine its own
policy its own way of development, unhin-
dered, unthreatened, unafraid, the little
among the great and powerful"
That the people of the United States will
endorse the presidents proposition may be
taken for granted. Apparently an abandon
ment of the policy of isolation which has
been the American ideal for so many years,
it is in reality the apotheosis of the Monroe
Doctrine, which declared against entan-
Cling alliances lest we be drawn into war
while the former proposes league to keep
us out ofswar. The Monroe doctrine de-
clares against European aggression on this
continent, the Wilson doctrine declares
against aggression anywhere.
Both Germany and the Allies have ac-
cepted the principle of the League to En-
force Peace, and as a number of neutral
= nations have likewise expressed their ad-
herence, the United States should have lit
tie trouble in reducing the proposition to
concrete organization.
7 pr TOP y President Wilson,
Of the ss
conference representatives the United
argued with the eoquence of those who the
WINGED disciples of liberty: and that moderation of
for order merely not instrument
selfish violence"
No one contends that the program of tn,
league to enforce peace is perfect no on,
believes that it will abolish war instantly
even among its members-if ever. AS Ions
as schoolboys fight, as long as men bea
their wives and wives kill their husbands
as long as there is ignorance in the world
and jails; as long as nations build might,
tariff walls around themselves, there will b
war; but that is not the question Tn
question is, will the League to Enforc
Peace tend to prevent war, and tend to pro
mote harmony among the nations of tn
world? A tremendous affirmative vii
answer the question, if President Wilson
proposition shortens the war by so much a
one day.