The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-01-23
Makes Il Dramatic and I'm
expected Appearance Be-
fore the Senate.
PRECEDENTS OF
CENTURY UPSET
Address Read in Open Ses-
sion, With Many Repre-
Sentatiyes Present.
ASKS PERMISSION
IN FORMAL LETTER
Document Referred to For
eign Relations Committee
and Ordered Printed.


WASHINGTON, Jan. %. - President
Wilson made a startling and dramatic
move in the peace situation to-day.
Appearing before the Senate in open
session-something which no President
has done since the early days Of the
republic-he laid before the country
and the world proposed course of
action for the United States with re-
spect to the wars termination and the
question of world peace so remarkable
in its terms and unprecedented in its
character that 1t left Senators on
both sides of the chamber dumb with
amazement.
Addressing the Senate as the body
upon which with him devolved the
determination OF the nations interna-
tional policy the President put for
ward n proposal that not only should
this country enter into an alliance
with European nations to get lasting
peace but that 1t should state the
terms upon which this should be &C.
complished.
| One OF the most startling OF hts
, utterances was that, as a condition
precedent to this. there must be in
the present European struggle peace
without victory,
nan hn
the President held, unless the New
| World Is party to It.
Conditions OF Participation.
Upon the theory that the participa-
ton OF the United States as ono Of
the guarantors is. therefore. essen.
tial, the President suggested briefly. ~
conditions for joining in such a guar
antee the following terms:
!. The equality OF nations based
not upon strength or size but upon
national rights.
2. Acceptance OF the principle Of
| government only by consent of the
governed. instanced in the case OF
Poland, which as outlined by the
President should be united, inde-
/ pcHueIt ana AUTONOMOUS.
3. Recognition Of the right OF a
| people to 4 direct outlet to the seas
by naturalization Of such straits and
waterways, the Dardanelles being q
case in point.
\. The freedom Of the seas.
8. Limitation OF armaments
In Justify!ng his startling announce
ment tho President expressed the view
that the replies of the belligerents to
his recent note have brought nearer q
definite discussion OF the peace which
shall end the present war.
Enlarges on the Vision.
Enlarging on this vision, he said It
was inconce!vable that the United
States should not join in the great en-
terprises of bringing about and main
tanning permanent peace through a
collective agreement among the ma
tions of the world.
He insisted that small nations
should have equal place with the great
In the proposed world concert; the;
dependent peoples must not be gov
erned without their consent: that ma
tions struggling for a share OF the
worlds commerce must have access tc
the sea by the "cesson OF territory" or
the naturalization OF direct rights o.
way"
He emphasized the freedom Of the
seas as an integral part OF the dream
OF permanent world peace. and ex
horted all nations to abandon their
entangling alliances in order that each
both great and small, might be lefl
free and untrammelled to work out t.
Z own salvation.
The message was not for the ears Of
the Senators alone. While II was be
, ing delivered TO them 1t was also be
, ing telcgraphed to the chancellerie !.
Of the fiGhting nations. What effecI
it will have upon foreign Governments.
! what bearing Il viii have upon the
foreign relations of the United States
Is the question uppermost In the minds
, OF those who heard It.
Opinion in the senate ran u wild,
. gamut. by some Democrats the mes =
| sage was hailed as an extraordinary
document that will loom large in his
tory, not only as marking a divergence
from the traditional policy Of the
United States formulated by Washing
I ton himself. hut as illuminating and
= stimulating tn" development OF the
| idea Of internationallsm in the solution
4 OF world problems,
BY others, most of them Rcpubli
! 'cans, the project was held TO he Wis
: lonary and acticable--another ane
larger phase of the doctrine of hu