Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-29

Washington. Aug 2s- President Wilson has rejected the Fopes' peace proposals.
 Tn a note despatched last night, and made public here tonight, the presi- dent says that while every heart not blinded and hardened by the terrible war must be touched by the moving appeal of his holiness, it would be folly to take the path of peace he points out, if it does not in fact lead to the goal he proposes
 To deal with such a power as the present rules of Germany upon Pope Benedict's plan, declares the president, would involve | recuperation of the strength and renewal of the world domination of that power. now baked but not defeated after sweeping a con- tinent with the blood of innocent women and children and the hopeless poor well as of soldiers.
 Perma nent peace must be based upon tthe faith of all the peoples and upon Justice and fairness and the common rights of mankind, he adds, and I've cannot take the word of the present rulers of Germany a guarantee of anything that is to endure, unless ezs- tplicitly supported by conclusive evil ldeuce of the will and purpose of the Herman people themselves as the Fother peoples of the world would be ljustided-1n- accepting
 i t--r@t sSS Text of the Note.
 7 The text of the note follows:
 August 27. 1917. '7To-s -ssTIis Holiness, Benedictus XIV, Tn Acknowledgement of the com lmunication of your holiness to the beIligerert peoples, dated Aug. l, 1917, the president of the United States re- quests me to transmit the following reply:
 1Fvery heart that has not been blinded and hardened by this terrible iTvar must be touched by this moving appeal Of his holiness, the pope, must feel the dignity and force of the hu- msne and generous motives which rprompted 1t, and must fervently wish rhat we might take the path of peace he so persuasively points out. But it would be folly to take it f it does not in fact lead to the goal he proposes. EOur response must be based upon the lstern facts and upon nothing else. It Is not mere cessation of arms he tdeSires; 1t is a stable and enduring peace. This agony must not be gone through with again and it must be a matter Of very sober Judgment what will insure us against 1t.
 Substance of Pope's Plan.
 ''His holiness in substance proposes that we return to the status quo ante lbellum and that then there be a gen leraI conformation, disarmament and concert of nations, based upon an ao- ,ceptancs of the principle of arbitra- ton; that by 2 similar concert freedom lof the seas be established; and that the territorial claims of France and Italy ths perplexing problems of the Balkan states and the restitution of Poland he left to such conciliatory ad- lt1etmeuts as may be possible in the new temper of such a peace due regard being paid to the aspirations of the peoples whose political fortunes and affiliations will be involved.
 Object of This War.
 "It Is manifest that no part of this successfully f cut unless the restitution of the status quo ante furnishes a firm and satis- factory basis for it. The object of this war Is to deliver the freq peoples of actual power of a vast military estab- 1ishment controlled oy an irresponsi- Fie government which, having secretly eIanned to dominate the world, pro- ceeded to carry the plan out without regard either to the sacred obligations of treaty or the long established prac- tices and long cherished principles Of international action and honor; which chose It's own time for the war: de- livered IS blow fercely and suddenly; stopped at no barrier. either of law or of mercy, swept whole continent -itfin the tide of bIood-not the blood Of soldiers only, but the blood of in rocent women and children also and of the EClpless poor; and now stands baked but not defeated, the enemy of four-ffths of the world. This power
 
 ruthless master of the German people. It Is no business of ours how that great people came under it's control or submitted with temporary zest to the domination of its purpose: but 1t is our business to see to 1t that the his tory of the rest of the world Is no longer left to it's handling.
 Would Create Perm rent Hostility.
 ITO 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 a recuperation of its strength and a renewal of it's policy; would make 1t necessary to create 9 permanent hostile combina- ton of nations against the German people, who are its instruments; and would result in abandoning the new born Russia to the intrigue, the mani fold subtle interference, and the cer- tain counter-revolutton which would be attempted by. all the maiign inf1u- I s1css to which thez German govern