The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-08-29
President Wilson's Reply to
Pope's Appeal for Peace


To His Holiness Benedict Az, Pope
In acnnow lee gment of the cUmmu-
nication of youl Holiness 10 the pei
ligerent peoples, dated August /
1917. the President OF the nIted
States requests me TO transmit the
following reply:
Every heart hat has not been
blinded and hardened by this terrible
war must be touched by this moving
appeal of His Holiness. the Pope,
must feel the dignity and force OF the
humane and generous motives when
PROMPTED il. and must ferVentIy wish
that We might take the path OF
peace he so persuasiyely points 0ut.
But it would be folly to take Il II 1t
does in fact lead to the goal he pro-
poses. Our response must be based
upon the stern facts and upon moth
ing else 1t is not mere cesSaIlon
of arms he desires: it is a stable and
enduring peace. This agony must
not be gone through with again; :;
must be matter of very sober Judg-
ment what will insure us against 1t.
His Holiness in substance proposes
bellunl. and that then there be gen
eral conformation. disarmament ana
a concert of nations based upon an
acceptance of the principle of arbl-
tration: that, by a similar concert,
freedom of the seas be established,
and that the territorial claims OF
France and Italy. the perpieNins
problems of the Balkan States, ans
the restitution OF Poland be left to
such conciliatory adjustments "a may
be possible in the new temper OF
such a peace due regard being paid
to the aspirations of the peoples
whose political fortunes and afiilia-
lions will be involved.
1t is manifest that no part OF this
program can be successfully carried
out, unless the restitution OF the
status quo ante bellum furnishes a
firm and satisfactory basis for it.
The object of this war is to deliver
the free peoples Oh the world from
the menace and the actual power of
vast military establishment, controll-
ed by an irresponsible Government,
which, having secretly planned 10
dominate the world, proceeded 10
carry out the plan without REGARD
treaty or the long-established prac-
tees and long-cherished principles o.
international action and honor,
which chose its own time for the
war; delivered its blow t1ercely ana
suddenly; stopped at no barrier, eth
er OF law or of mercy; swept a whole
continent within the tide OF blood
not the blood OF soldiers only, but
children also, and of the helpless
poor; and now stands, baked, but
not defeated. the enemy OF 1our-1fths
of the world. This power is not the
German people Ii is the ruthless
master of the German people. 1t Is
no business of ours how that great
people came under its control or sub
mitted with temporary zest 10 the
domination of its purpose: but 1t Is
our business to see to it that the his
tory OF the rest of the world Is no
longer left to its handling.
To deal with such q power by way
of peace upon the plan proposed BY
His Holiness, the Pope, would so
far as we can see, involve a recupera-
ton of its strength and a renewal c.
it's policy: would make it necessary
to create q permanent hostile COM
binatiOn of nations against the Ger
man people, who are its instruments,
and would result in abandoning the
newborn Russia to the intrigue, the
manifold subtle interference and the
certain cOunter-revolutlon which
would be attempted by all the ma
lign influences to which the German
Government has of late accustomed
the world. Can peace be BASED upo1-
a restitution of its power or upon
any word of honor it could pledge il
treaty of settlement and accommo-
dation?
Responsible statesmen must now
every where see, if they never saw
before, that no peace can rest secure
ly upon political or economic restric-
lions meant to benefit some nations
and cripple or embarrasS others, up
on vindictive action of any sort, or
any kind of revenge or deliberate in
jury. The American people nave SUI
fered intolerable 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 wal. 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 Sc
curlty and Self-governmen 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 it based upon
the faith of all the peoples involved
or merely upon the work of ambiti-
GUS 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 ap-
piled.
The purposes Of the United States
In this war are known to the whole
world-to every people TO whom the