Arizona republican., 1917-01-23

From this utterance all the presi-
dents hearers drew the common con-
clusion that he was holding out to
the Old World a warning that il it
would command the potent influence
of the New World for the future
peace of all, the settlement of the
| war must involve concession and sac
| rifice, equality Of rights. freedom of
the seas, and in his own words Gin
and of industrial and social de-
velopment to all peoples
who have lived hitherto under the
power of governments devoted to a
faith and purpose hostile TO their
own
He specifically mentioned that the
statesmen of all the belligerents have
agreed that there would be "a united.
| independent and autonomous Pol
and but his words We're construed
to apply to Alsace-Lorraine. Belgium
the italian portions of Austria and
the mixed nationalities of the Balk-
ans as WELL
Some Of the senators who dis
| agreed with the president openly re-
ferred to this portion of his address
/ as IAN attempt to parcel out Europe
| and IN interference in the affairs Of
| the eastern hemisphere.
Nevertheless, the president went ex-
| haustively into that phase OF his
proposal, saying 1.-The world can be
at peace only if life is stable and
there can be no stability where the
will is in rebellion. where there is
not tranquility of spirit. and sense
! of Justice. of freedom and of right.
Equality of territory or of re-
sources there. of course. cannot be,
nor any other sort of equality not
! gained in the ordinary peaceful and
| legitimate development Of the people
themselves. But no one asks or ex-
poets anything more than an equality
of rights. Mankind is looking now
for freedom Of life; not for equities
CT power"
| Dealing with the question of arrna
ments which he declared to be "the
most immediate and intensely practi
cal question connected with the flu
ture fortunes of nations and of man
kind the president declared there
could be no assurance of safety il
| great arma ments We're to be built up
and maintained, and that difficult as
the question might he, it must be
| faced with the greatest candor. and
decided ir a spirit of real accommo-
4 dation.' E
Previously the president had touch
ed upor Il collateral point when he
said:
Mere agreements may not make
peace secure. 1t will he absolutely
necessary that a force be created as
guarantor Of the permancy Of the
settlement, so much greater then the
force Of any nation now engaged or
any alliance hitherto formed or pro-
jected, that no nation, no probable
! combination of nations. could face or
withstand it. If the peace presently
to he made is to endure. it must be
a peace made secure by the organ
ized major force of mankind"
This declaration called to the minds
Of the presidents hearers the state
men of Arthur Balfour. British for
eign minister in his recent note
which said an international sane
ton fer peace should be backed by n
force which would give pause to the
hardest aggressor"
Members of congress generally do
not regard the presidents proposals
as calling for any action at this
! time and even senators who did nor
agree with the suggestions advanced
for world peace did not question the
presidents right to suggest them nor
to enter Upor negotiations tending to
commit the United States 20 such q
policy.
Republicans, such as Senators
Lodge and Borah, who arc members
Of the foreign relations committee
would not comment on the message.
One of the republican leaders as
serted that the president had full
authority TO proceed along lines which
he has suggested; that there could
be no constitutional bar to his eff
forts and that such league for
peace as he proposed would have 10
be embodied into treaty 1t might
be possible for the president at some
future time to negotiate such a
treaty. in this senator's opinion, bur
to get the senate's ratification OF
| such 4 convention was another and
far moro improbable matter.
President Wilson's address in full
follows:
"On the 18th of December last l ad-
dressed an identical note to the govern
ments of the nations now at war. re-
questing them to state moro definitely
than had yet been stated by either
group of belligerents, the terms upon
which they would deem it possible to
make peace. + spoke on behalf of hu-
mainly and of the rights of all neutral
nations like our own, many of whose
| most vital interests the war puts in
constant jeopardy.
THE central powers united in q reply
! which stated merely that they were
ready to meet their antagonists in con-
ference to discuss terms of peace.
THE entente powers have replied
much more definitely and have stated
in general terms indeed, but with suf-
ficient definiteness to imply details, the
arrangements, guarantees and acts Of
reparation which they deem to be the
Indispensable conditions of a satisfac-
tory settlement.
I'VE are that much nearer a definite
| discussion of the peace, which shall
end the present war. We are that much
nearer the discussion of the interna-
tional concert which must thereafter
hold the world at peace In every dis
| cu5Sion Of the peace that must end this
war it is taken for granted that that
peace must be given by some definite
| concert of power which will make it
virtually impossible that any such ca
tastrophe should ever overwhelm us
again. Every lover of mankind, every
sane and thoughtful man must take
that for granted.
81 have sought this opportunity to
address you because I thought that
owed it to you as the council associated
| with me in the final determination of
our international obligations, to dis
close to you, without reserve, the
| thought and purpose that have been
taking form in my mind in regard to
the duty of our government in these
| days to come, when it will be necessary
to lay afresh and upon new plan, the
| foundations of peace among the ma
tions.
1T is inconceivable that the people