Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-08-17

lowed to arrive al a stable and hon
orable peace for all. Unfortunately our
appeal was not heard and the war
conntiued desperately for another two
year with all its horrors It became
even more cruel and extended over the
earth, over the sea and in the air and
one saw ccaolution and Geath descend
upon the cities without defense, upon
peaceful villages and upon their inno-
cent population and now no one can
imagine how the .suferings of all
would be increased and aggravated if
other months or morse still other years
are about to be added to this sanguin-
ary trienniur.
Is this civilized world to be moth
ing more than a field Of deatho And
Europe SO glorious and so flourishing,
is II going as if stricken by a univer-
sal madness, to run to the abyss and
to lend its hand to its own suicideo
In such a terrible situation and in
the preserce of q menace so serious
we who have no political aim. who do
not listen TO suggestions or to the in
terests cf any Of the belligerent par
tics, but are solely compelled by
sentiment of our supreme duty as the
common father of the faithful, by the
solicitation of our children who i'm
plore our intervention and our pacify-
ing word.
The Cry Of Peace
In the voice even of humanity and
of reason we once more emit the cry of
peace and we renew pressing appeal
to those who hold in their hands the
destines of nations. But in order no
longer to speak in general terms as
the circun stances had counselled us in
the part, VIC now wish to make more
concrete and practical proposals and
to invite the governments of the bel
ligerent peoples to come to an agree
ment on the following points which
seems to be a basis Of just and dura-
BILE peace. leaving to them the task of
analvzing- and completing them.
First of all the fundamental points
must be that the material force Of
arms be substituted by the moral
force of right from which shall arise
a fair agreement by all of the stimuli
taneous and reciprocal dimunition of
armament according to the rules and
guarantees to be established. in a
measure necessary and sufficient for
the maintenance of public order in
each state. Then in the substitution
for armies The institution of arbitra-
tion with its high pacifying functions,
according to the rules to be laid down
and the penalties to be imposed on a
state which would refuse either to sub
nit a national question to arbitration
or to accept its decision.
Once the supremacy Of right has
been established all obstacles to the
means Of communication of the peo-
pies would disappear by assuring by
rules to be fixed later the true liberty
and community of the seas which
would contribute to the numerous
causes of conflict and would also open
to all new sources Of prosperity and
progress.
las to the damages to be repaired
and as to the war expenses we see
no other means Of solving the question
than by submitting as a general prin-
ciple the complete and reciprocal con-
donation which would be justified
moreover by the immense benefit to
be derived from disarmament, SO much
so that no one will understand the
continuation of a similar carnage
solely for reasons Of an economic or
der.
Reciprocal Restitution
If for certain cases there exist par
ticular reasons they would be deliber-
atod upon with justice and equity but
these pacific agreements With the inn
mense advantages to be derived from
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IVY i"