The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-08-30
PRESIDENTS REPLY
TO THE POPE


dict is sound alike in morals. states
manship and economies. On the
ground of morals it is sound, because
a premature peace under conditions
now existing in Europe, would, as the
president so forcefully points out,
mean immediate preparation for a
greater struggle in the future and
would therefore be worse than a con
tinuation of war until the overthrow
of kaiserism in its present invidious
meaning. 1t is sound in statesman
ship, because. as the president says,
the pledge of the military rulers of
Germany to negotiate disputed ques-
tions honestly is worthless and
should be sanctioned specifically by
the German people before other ma
lions should cease to prosecute war
against the Teutons and give them a
respite to gather strength. 1t is sound
economically because it rejects the
theory of economic reprisal tentative
ly adopted by the allies in the Pact
of Paris" which has been since re
pudiated by Russia and virtually re-
pudiated by England Every student
of economic history knows that pacts
of this sort have failed in their pur-
pose and have laid the foundation for
subsequent wars. Economic justice
between nations is not the sole guar
antee Of peace but it is one of the
necessary guarantees.
On this point President Wilson says:
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 vim
dictive action of any sort, or any kind
Of revenge or deliberate injury. The
American people have suffered intol-
cradle wrongs at the hands of the i'm
perial German government but they
desire no reprisal upon the German
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 rights of governments-the
rights of peoples great or small, weak
or powerful-their equal right to free
dom and security and self-government
and to participation upon fair terms
in the economic opportunities Of the
world-the German people of course
included, if they viii accept equality
and not seek domination.
"@ Punitive damages the dis
memberment of empires, the estab-
lishment of selfish and exclusive
economic leagues we deem inexpedi-
ent and in the end worse than futile,
no proper basis for a peace of any
kind. least of all for an enduring
peace That must be based upon jus
tice and fairness and the common
rights of mankind"
A careful reading of the message
reveals the fact that it is not re-
lection of the terms proposed by Pope
Benedict, except insofar as such terms
might IMPLY what they did not speci-
fically state) that the re-establish-
ment of the status quo ante, should
mean the retention Of sole power OF
negotiation on the part of Germany in
the kaiser. He says:
1T is manifest that no part of this
program can be successfully carried
out unless the restitution OF the status
quo ante furnishes a firm and salts
factory basis for It."
But he does not say that restitu-
ton of the status quo ante (condi-
ton existing before the war; would
not be a firm basis for peaceful ne
gotiation. provided that the German
people instead of their ruler should
pledge themselves to negotiate fairly
to disarm honestly and to make prop
er restitution for injury done and Of
territory unjustly acquired.
Nor does the president fail to make
it clear that he is concerned with tn,
political constitution of the German
empire only so far as it affects tn,
outside world. He has no desire t
tell them how they must govern them
selves, or suffer others to govern
them internally, so long as they dc
not infringe on the rights of others
1T is no business of ours how tina
great people came under its contro
or submitted with temporary zest t,