The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-09-07

| Jf 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 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 GER
tain counter-revolution which would
be attempted by all the malign influ-
ences to which the German govern
ment has of late accustomed the
world. Can peace be based upon a
restitution of it's power or upon any
word of honor it could pledge in a
| treaty of settlement and accommoda-
| ton?
Irresponsible statesmen must now
everywhere see, If they never saw be-
fore, that no peace can rest securely
upon political or economic restric-
tions meant to benefit some nations
and cripple or embarrass others; upon
indicative action of any sort, or any
Kind of revenge or deliberate injury.
Inc American people have suffered in
tolerable wrongs at the hands of the
imperial 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.
Want Equal Rights.
| 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 power
| ful-their equal right to freedom and
security and self-government, and to
a participation, upon fair terms, in the
economic opportunities of the world
the German people, of course, includ-
ed, if they will accept equality and
not seek domination.
! 1.-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 ambitious
and intriguing government, on the one
hand, and of a group of free peoples
on the other? This is a test which
| goes to the root of the matter; and
| it is the test which must be applied.
| 1.-THE purpose Of the United States
in this war are 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 intolerable
wrongs done in this war by the furi-
Gus and brutal power of the imperial
German government ought to be re-
paired, but not at the expense of the
sovereignty of any people-rather a
yindication of the sovereignty, both of
those that are weak and those that are
strong.
Damages Futile.
Punitive damages, the dismember-
ment of empires, the establishment of
selfish and exclusive economic leagues,
we deem inexpedient and in the end
worse than futile, no proper basis for
an enduring peace. That must be
based upon justice eand fairness and
the common rights of mankind.
1--WE cannot take the word of the
present rulers of Germany as guar
antee of anything that is to endure
unless explicitly supported by such
conclusive evidence of the will and
purpose of the German people faem-
selves as the other peoples OF the
world would be justified in accepting.
Without such guarantees, treaties OF
settlement, agreements for aisarma-
ment, covenants to set up arbitration
in the place of force, territorial ad-
iustments, reconstitutions of small ma
lions, if made with the German gov
eminent, no man. no nation, could now
depend on. We must await some new
evidence of the purposes of the great
peoples of the central powers. God
grant it may be given soon and In
way to restore the confidence OF all
peoples everywhere in the faith OF ma
lions and the possibility of a cove
nanted peace.
ROBERT LANSING,
Secretary of State of the United
States of America"