The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1917-09-07
PoE'S PEACE
PLEA REJECTED
PERMANENT WORLD TRAssoUiL,
IiTv AIN o. AMERICA AND
ALLigs, sAvs WILSON.
fUlITExT OF REPLY
WORD or kAlsER CANNOT, 0E
TAKEN A. oUARAMvGG THAT
WAN WILL EMO.
wsssssA Nsvspapsr unsea News Services.
To His Holiness. Benedictus XIV.

WesssrA Nsvspapsr unioa Nsws Service.
To His Holiness. Benedictus XIV.
Pope:
In acknowledgement Of the communi-
cation Of your Holiness to the bsllis-
erent peoples. dated August I. 1917.
the President Of the United States re-
quests me 70, transmit che following
reply:
Every heart that has not been blind
Cd and hardened BY this terrible war
must be touched By this moving ap-
peal Of his Holiness. the Pope; must
feel the dignity and force Of the hu-
name and generous motives which
prompted It, and must fervently wish
that We might take the path OF peace
h6 80 persuasively points out: but II
would be folly to taxa It II It does
not in fact, lead 70 the goal he pro
poses.
Our response must b based upon
the stern facts and upon nothing else.
It IL mot . mere cessation Of arms he
dss!fes; It b . stable and enduring
peace. This agony must not be gone
through with again. and II must be a
matter Of very sober Judgment that
will insure us against It.
To Frss Peoples From AAiiitarism.
His Holiness in substance proposes
that we return to the status quo ante
bellum, and that then there be gen.
ersl condonation, disarmament and q
concert OF nations based upon an &C
ceptance Of the principle Of arbitra'
ton: that by . similar concert free
dom Of the seas be established and
that the territorial claims Of France
and Italy, the perplexing problems Of
the Balkan states and the restitution
Of Poland be left TO such conciliatory
adjustments ~ may be possible in the
new temper Of such peace. due re-
gard being paid to the aspirations Of
the peoples whose political fortunes
and affiliations will be involved.
Il u manifest that NO part Of this
program can be successfully carried
CT unless the restitution Of the status
quo ante bellum furnishes . firm and
satisfactory basis for It. The object
u this war 10 to deliver the &ree PEG
ples Of the world from the MANAGE and
the actual power Of vast military e.
tablishment controlled by an irrespon.
sible government which. having -.
cretiy planned to dominate the world,
proceeded to carry the plan out with.
out regard either TO the sacred obi,
cations Of treaty or the long-estab.
lished practices and long-cherished
principles Of international action and
honor: which chose its own time for
the war: delivered Its blow fiercely
and suddenly: stopped at no barrier
either Of law or Of mercy; swept Z
whole continent within the tide Of
bsood-not the blood Of soldiers only
but the blood Of innocent women and
children also and Of the helpless poor;
and now stands baked. but not de
feated, the enemy Of four.fifths of the
world.
Would Need Hostile Combinations.
This power 10 not the German peo
pie. It 10 NO business Of ours how
that great people came under its con
troll or submitted with temporary zest
to the domination Of its purpose: but
It 10 our business to see to 1t that the
history of the rest OF tho world Is nc
( longer left to its handling.
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