The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-29
PRESIDENT ASKS.
CONTINUED from Page one.)
as follows:
August 81, 1911
ITO His Holiness,
'Benedictus XIV, Pope:
as follows:

Ah609b go SSSh
ITO His Holiness,
'Benedictus XVI Pope:
I'm acknowledgment Of the COM
munIcation Of Your Holiness to the
belligerent peoples dated August l,
1917, the President OF the United
States requests me to transmit the
following reply:
every heart that has not been
blinded and hardened by this terri
BILE war must be touched by this NOV
ing appeal Of His Holiness, the Pope;
must feel the dignity and force OF
the humane and generous motives
which prompted 1t, and must fervent-
ly wish that we might take the patn
Of peace he so persuasively points
out But it would be folly to take
it II it does not, in fact, lead to the
goal he proposes, Our response must
be based upon stern facts, and
upon nothing else. 1t is not a
mere cessation Of arms he desires;
it Is 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 it.
Ills Holiness In substance, propo-
ses that we return TO the status quo
ante bellum, and that there be gen
eral conformation, disarmament, and a
concert of nations, based upon an
acceptance of the principle OF arbitra-
ton; that by a similar concert tree
dom Of the seas be established, and
that the territorial claims OF France
and Italy, the perplexing problems OF
the Balkan States and the restitution.
Of Poland be left to such concillatory
adjustments as may be possible in
the new temper Of such a peace, due
regard being paid to the aspiration
OF the peoples whose political for
tunes and affiliations will be invol-
we'd.
ut is manifest that no part of this
program can be successfully carried
out unless the restitution OF the stat
us quo ante furnishes firm and safe
basis for it. The object of this war
is to deliver the free peoples of the
world from the menace and the &C
tual power OF vast military estab-
lishment controlled by an irrespon-
sible government which, having Sc
cretly planned to dominate the world,
proceeds to carry the plan out, with
out regard Of treaty or the long es-
tablished practices and long cherish
ed principles OF International action
and honor; which chose its own time
for the war; delivered its blows
tierCely and suddenly, stopped at no
barrier either OF law or of mercy,
swept a whole continent within the
tide of blood-not the blood Of SOL
diers only but the blood Of innocent
women and children also. and of the
helpless poor; and now stands balk-
ed, but not defeated, the enemy Of
four-ffths of the world. The power
is not the German people. 1t is the
ruthless master Of the German peo-
pie, 1t is no business of ours how
that great people came under It's con-
troll or submitted with temporary zest
to the domination Of its purpose; but
it is our business TO see to it that
the history of rest Of the world is
no longer left to Its handling.
ITO deal with such 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 renewal Of its
policy; would make it necessary to
create a 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 man
fold subtle interference, and the Gre
alton Of a counter revolution which
would be attempted by all the malign
influences to which the German gov
eminent has Of late accustomed the
world. Can peace be based upon any
word Of honor 1t could pledge in a
treaty Of settlement and accommoda-
ton?
Responsible statesmen must now
everywhere see, il 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
indictive 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 reprissl upon the Ger
man people, who have themselves
suffered al things IN this war when