Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-29

tus quo ante furnishes firm and sat
isfactory basis for it, The object oi
this war is to deliver the free peoples
of the world from the menace and the
actual power of vast military estab-
lishment, controlled by an irresponsi-
BILE government, which. having secret
ly planned to dominate the world, pro-
ceeded to carry the plan out without
regard either TO the sacred obliga-
tions of treaty or the ong-established
practices and long-cherished princi-
piles 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 a
whole continent within the tide OF
blood mot the blood of soldiers only,
but the blood of innocent women and
children also and of the helpless poor :
and now stands balked, but not de-
feated, the enemy of four-fifths of the
world
This power is not the German peo-
pie 1t is the ruthless master of the
German people 1t is no business OF
ours how that great people came un-
der its control or submitted with
temporary zest to the domination of
its purpose; but it is our business TO
see to it that the history of the rest
of the world is no longer left to its
handling
To deal with such a power by way
of peace upon the plan proposed by
his Holiness the Pope would, so far
as we can see, involve recuperation
of its strength and a renewal of its
policy; would make it necessary to
create a permanent hostile combina
tion of nations against the German
people, who are it's instruments; and
would result in abandoning the new
born Russia to the intrigue, the mani
fold subtle interference, and the GER
tain counter-revolution which. would
be attempted by all the malign infiu-
ences to which the German Govern
ment has of late accustomed the
world
Can peace be based upon a restitu-
tion of its power or upon any word
of honor it could pledge in a treaty
of settlement and accommodation?
Responsible statesmen must now
everywhere see, if they never saw be-
fore, that no peace can rest securely
upon political or economic restrictions
meant to benefit some nations and
cripple or embarrass others, upon
vindictive action of any sort, or any
kind of revenge or deliberate injury.
The American people have suffered
intolerable wrongs at the hands of the
Imperial German Government, but
they desire no reprisal upon the Ger
man 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 right of govern
ments rights peoples, great or
small, weak or powerful equal
right to freedom and security and
and to a participa-
ton upon fair terms in the economic
opportunities of the world. the Ger
man people, of course, included. if
they will accept equality and not seek
domination.
The test, therefore, of every plan of
faith of all the people involved, or
merely upon the word of an ambiti-
Gus and intriguing government, on the
one hand, and of group of free peo-
pies, on the other? This is a test
which goes to the root of the matter;
and it is the test which must be
applied
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 need to be stated again. We seek
no material advantage of any kind.
We believe that the intolerable wrongs
done in this war by the furious and
brutal power of the Imperial German
Government ought to be repaired, but
not at the expense OF the sovereignty
of any people-rather a vindication
of the sovereignty both of those that
are weak and of those that are strong.
Punitive damages, the dismemberment
of empires, the establishment of sell
fish and exclusive economic leagues,
we deem inexpedient. and in the end
worse than futile, least of all for an
enduring peace. That must be based
upon justice and fairness and the COM
mon rights of mankind
: We cannot take the word of the
present rules of Germany as a guar
antee of anything that is to endure un-
less explicitly supported by such con-
elusive evidence of the will and pur-
pose of the German people themselves
as the other peoples of the world
would be justified in accepting. With
out such guarantees treaties of set
tlement, agreements for disarmament
covenants to set up arbitration in the
place of force, territorial adjustments.
reconstitutions of small nations, If
made with the German Government,
no man, no nation. could now depend
on
We must await some new evidence
of the purposes of the great peoples
of the Central Powers. God grant II
may be given soon and in way to
restore the confidence of all peoples
everywhere in the faith of nations and
the possibility of covenanted peace
ROBERT LANSING.
Secretary of State of the United
States of America.