The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-08-30
Pope's Peace Plan
Is Rejected.
WILSON WHITES NOTE
Cannot Take Word Of Present
German Rulers.

Washington, Aug 80. - President
Wilson has rejected the popes peace
proposals.
In note dispatched and made pub
lie here the president says that while
every heart not blinded and hardened
by the terrible war must be touched
by the moving appeal of his holiness
1T would be folly to take the path of
peace he points out if it does not in
fact lead to the goal he proposes.
To deal with such a power as the
present rulers of Germany on Pope
Benedict's plan. the president de-
clares, would involve a recuperation
of the strength and renewal of the
world domination of that power, now
baked, but not defeated after sweep
ing a continent with the blood of in
nocent women and children and the
helpless poor as well as OF soldiers.
Permanent peace must be based on
the faith of all the peoples and on
justice and fairness and the common
rights of mankind, he adds, and we
cannot take the word of the present
rulers of Germany as a guarantee ot
anything that is to endure, unless e1-
plicitly supported by such conclusive
evidence of the will and purpose of the
German people themselves as the 9TH
or peoples of the world would be JUS
titled in accepting.
The note was signed by Secretary
Lansing acting for the president II
concludes as follows
America Has Suffered Much.
The American people have suffered
intolerable wrongs at the hands OF the
imperial German government. but they
desire no reprisal on the German peo-
pie. 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 power
ful-their equal right to freedom and
security and f-goyernment and to a
participation upon fair terms in the
economic opportunities Of the world
the German people of course included
If they will accept equality and not
seek domination.
The test, therefore, of every plan
of peace is this: Is 1t based on the
faith of all the peoples involved or
merely on the word of an ambitious
and intriguing government, on the
one hand. and of a group of free
peoples, on the other?
The purposes 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 oi
any kind We believe that the intol
cradle wrongs done in this war by the
furious and brutal power of the i'm
perial German government ought to be
repaired, but not at the expense oi
the sovereignty of any people-ratheI
q vindication of the sovereignty both
of those that are weak and those that
are strong
Based Upon Justice and Fairness.
Punitive damages, the dismember
ment of empires, the establishment o
selfish and exclusive economic
leagues. we deem inexpedient and in
the end worse than futile, no proper
basis for peace of any kind, las
of all for an enduring peace. Tha
must be based upon justice and fair
ness and the common rights of man
kind
I'VE cannot take the word of thu
present rulers of Germany as a guar
antee of anything that is to endure
unless explicitly supported by sucl
conclusive evidence of the will ant
purpose of the German people them
selves as the other peoples of tn,
world would be justified in accepting
Without such guarantees, treatie
Of settlement, agreements for disarIn
ament, covenants to set up arbitra
tion in the place of force, territoria
adjustments. reconstitutions of small
nations, If made with the German gov
ernment, no man, no nation could nov
depend on.
I'VE must await some new evidence
of the purposes of the great peoples
of the central powers. God grant /
may be given soon and in way to re
store the confidence of all people
everywhere in the faith of nations an,
the n0ssihility of cOyenant0
aeAee"