New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-11
Washington's Mind on War

I
outgivngs from the State Department
now tending to show that Germany is
in distress or weary Of the war? Any
information about starvation IN Ger
many? You do not.
There is danger that the significance
of such information would be eXagger-
formsble to the principles Of the in
ternational."
After welcoming the formula of no
annexations and indemnities OF the
Council of Workmen's and Soldiers
Delegates the memorandum declares:
"Of all war aims none is so important
as that there should henceforth on
earth be no more war. Whoever tri-
umphs, the world will have lost unless
some effective method Of preventing
war can be found"
For this reliance is largely placed on
the complete characterization Of Ger
many and Austria Hungary, which now
cannot fail to place themselves in line
with other civilized nations on frank
abandonment of every form of i'm
perialism, on the suppression Of secret
diplomacy, on the placing of the for
eign policy under the control of elected
legislators, on the absolute responsible
ity of the Foreign Minister of each
country to the legislature, on concerted
action for the limitation of ornaments
and the abolition of proft-making Of
armament firms"
League of Nations Favored
1t is further declared that the essen
tial condition Of a treaty of peace will
be the establishment Of "a superna-
tional authority or league of nations
adhered to by all present belligerents
while every other independent state in
the world should be pressed to join"
The scope and constitution of the pro-
posed league are set forth, including
machinery for settling international
disputes iudicially and mediating dis
putes which are injusticiable and the
formation of an international legislat-
! ure wherein every civilized state will
be represented.
The memorandum reprobates "the
crime against the peace of the world"
whereby Alsace and Lorraine were torn
| from France in 1871, and demands that
| they be allowed to realize their desire
! to be restored to France. The necessity
| is recognized for securing the legiti-
mate interests of the people of Italy in
| the Adriatic and Egean without pre-
| Guiding the same recognition of the
| claims of other peoples.
The question of Poland should be
/ settled in accordance with the wishes
of the Poles, and mall cases, includ-
| ing Luxembourg, wherein independence
has been temporarily destroyed, each
must be allowed to settle its own des-
tiny. In behalf Of the Jews equal
citizenship rights with other inhabi-
tants is demanded from all countries,
and it is hoped that Palestine will be
| free from Turkish domination and be-
come a free state under international
/ guarantees. to which such Jews as de-
sire may return to work out their own
| salvation, free from interference from
! other nations and religions.
Would Free Turk Dependencies
The memorandum condemns the
! "handing back to the universally eX-
ecrated rule Of the Turkish govern
ment any subject people once free
! therefrom" and proposes that Meso-
! potamia. Armenia and Arabia be placed
| under the government Of league OF
/ nations, with the administration in the
| hands of commission.
As regards the African colonies and
the Sahara it is declared that those
ought not to form the booty for any
nations or be exploited BY capitalists,
but as il is impossible to leave the in
| habitants settle their own destinies
the "interests of humanity would best
be served by a full and frank abandon
ment by all belligerents of any dreams
| Of an African empire, the transfer OF
! all present colonies in tropical Africa,
| together with the nominally indie
pendent republic of Liberia, to the
proposed league of nations and their
administration by an impartial com
mission under the leagues authority.
The memorandum deals lengthily with
such subjects as food supplies after the
war. and tint prevention of unemploy-
ment, and declares emphatically against
projects of an economic war after
| peace. II makes suggestions as regards
! the restoring Of areas devastated by
war, calls for full inquiry into all
legged acts Of cruelty and violence dur
the war and calls attention particularly
| 20 the destruction of lives and property
by the "inhuman and ruthless" sub
marine war. II proposes the estab-
| lishment Of court Of claims TO in
lvcstigate such cases.
International Socialism
The reconstruction Of the Socialist
Internationalists to discuss and deal
with all questions OF international i'm
portance 10 declared desirable. Finally
| Il is claimed that an agreement OF the
warning governments il only possible
by a free and frank discussion Of each
| others claims and desires. Such dis.
cussion the Socialists and Labor men OF
all countries are urged TO demand.
| The declaration of reparation fol-
Belgium and restoration of that coun-
! try to untrammelled independence is
] very precisely worded.
/ The restoration OF the territories OF
Serbia and Montenegro to their peoples
ie insisted upon and the suggestion ia
made that the whole Balkan problem be
| dealt with by an international commits
sion on the basis OF complete freedom
for the Balkan peoples irrespective Of
II IL L. l..