Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-30

and the certain counter revolution which
would be attempted by all the malign
influences to which the German govern
ment has Of late accustomed the world.
Can peace be based upon restitution
Of Its power or upon any word of honor
1t could pledge in n treaty of settlement
and accommodation?
NO PEACE BASED UPON REVENGE.
Irresponsible statesmen must now
everywhere see. IL they never saw be-
fore. that no peace can rest securely
upon political economic restrictions
meant to benefit some nations and Grip
pie or embarrass others. upon vindic-
tive action Of any sort, or any kind OF
revenge or deliberate injury. The
American people have suffered intoler-
able wrongs at the hands of the imperial
German government. but they desire no
reprisal upon the German people, who
have themselves suffered all things In
this war. which they did not choose.
They believe that peace should rest upon
the rights Of peoples not the rights Of
governments-the rights Of peoples great
or small, weak or powerful-their equal
right to freedom and security and self
government and to n participation upon
fair terms In the economic opportunities
OF the German nsS PEOPLE of
equality and not seek domination.
THE test. therefore. of every plan
Of peace is this: Is II 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 Of a group Of free peoples on
the other? This Is a test which goes to
the root Of the matter; and it is the
test which must be applied.
UNITED STATES SEEKS NO MATER
IAL ADVANTAGE.
1.-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
tn hn fafn uoip nalx
material advantage Of any kind. We
believe that the intolerabie wrongs done
in this war by the furious and brutal
power Of the imperial government ought
to be repaired. but not at the expense
OF the sovereignty Of any peope-rather
vindication Of the sovereignty. both
OF those that are weak and those that
are strong. Punitive damages. the dis
memberment Of empires. the establish
Inent Of selfish and exclusive economic
leagues we deem inexpedient and in
the end worse than futile. no proper
basis for a peace Of any kind. least Of
all for an enduring peace That must be
based upon Justice and fairness and the
common rights Of mankind.
CANNOT TAKE GERMAN RULERS
WORD.
I'VE cannot take the word Of the pres
ent rulers Of Germany as guaranty of
anything that Is to endure. unless ex-
plicitly supported by such conclusive
evidence Of the will and purpose Of the
German people themselves the other
peoples Of the world would be justified
In accepting. Without such guarantees.
treaties OF settlement. agreement for dis
armament. covenants to set up arbitra-
| tion in the place of force. territorial
| adjustments reconstitutions Of small ma
tions. II made with the German govern
ment no man. no nation could now de-
pend on. We must await some new
| evidence of the purposes OF the great
| peoples of the central powers God
in
| to restore the confidence of all peoples
| everywhere in the faith of nations and
| the possibility Of a covenanted peace.
ROBERT LANSING
| Secretary OF State of the United
! States OF America"