The Hartford republican., 1917-08-31

policy; WOulu make IL necessary W
create a permanent hostile combina-
tion 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 GER
tain counter-revolution which would
be attempted by all the malign in
fuences to which the German gov
ernment has of late accustomed the
world. Can peace be based upon a
restitution of its power or upon any
word of honor it could pledge in a
treaty of settlement and accommoda-
ton?
Responsible statesmen must now
everywhere see, If they never saw
bfeore, that no peace can rest secure
ly upon political or economical re-
strictions meant to benefit some ma
tions and cripple or embarrass 9TH
ers, upon indicative action of any
sort, or any kind of revenge or de-
liberate injury. The American peo-
pie have suffered intolerable wrongs
at the hands of the imperial German
government, but they desire no re-
prisal 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
freedom and security and self-gov-
ernment, and to a participation up-
on fair terms in the economic oppor-
tunities of the world-the German
people of course included if they ac-
cept equality and do not seek domina-
tion.
President States Test.
"The test. therefore, of every plan
of peace is this: Is it based upon
the faith OF all the peoples involved
or merely upon the word of an ambi-
tious and intriguing government, on
the one hand, and of proud, free
people, on the other? This is test
which goes to the root Of the matter;
and il is the test which must be ap-
piled.
"The purpose of the United States
in this war is 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 intol-
cradle wrongs done in this war by
the furious brutal power of the i'm
perial German government ought to
be repaired, but not at the expense
OF the sovereignty of any people
rather a vindication of the sovereign
ty both of those that are weak and
those that are strong. Punitive dam
ages, the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of empires,
the establishment Of selfish and ex-
elusive economic uses, we deem in
expedient and in the end more than
futile, no proper basis for peace
OF any kind, least of all for an en-
during peace. That must be based
upon justice and fairness and the
common rights of mankind.
1--WE can not take the word Of the
present rulers OF Germany as a guar
antee of anything that is to endure,
unless explicitly supported by such
conclusive evidence of the will and
purpose of the German people them
selves as the other peoples of the
world would be justified in accept
ing Without such guarantees,
treaties of settlement, agreements for
disarmament. covenants to set up ar
bitration i'm the place of force, terri
torial adjustments, reconstructions OF
small nations, if made with the Ger
man government, no man, no nation,
could now depend on. We must
await some new evidence of the pur-
poses of the great peoples of the Cen
tral Powers. God grant it may be
given soon and in a way to restore
the confidence of all peoples every
where in the faith of the nations ami
the possibility of covenanted peace.
ROBERT LANSING,
Secretary of State of the United
States of America"