The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1917-01-25

peace must be founded, IL it is to last.
u be on equalfty of rights, the guar
antees exchanged, must neither recog-
ME nor imply a difference between big
nations and small. between those that
are powerful and those that are weak.
Must BE Based On Equity.
Right must be based upon the COM
mon strength, not upon the individual
strength or the nations upon whose
concert peace will depend. Equality Of
territory and resources, there Of course.
cannot be; nor any other sort of equal
lty not gained in the ordinary peaceful
ana legitimate development of the
peopl themselves. But no one asks or
expects anything more than an equality
OF rights. Mankind is looking now for
freedom of life not for equipoise Of
power.
And there is a deeper thing involved
IMAM even equality Of right among or
ganlzed nations. No peace can last, or
ought to last, which does not recognize
n accept the principle that govern
ments derive all their just powers from
the consent of the governed, and that
no right anywhere exists to hand peo-
PIES ABOUT from sovereignty to sover-
eighty as IL they were property. | take
1t FOR granted, for instance, If / may
venture upon a single example hat
statesmen everywhere are agreed that
there should be united, Independent and
autonomous Poland and that hence-
forth in inviolate security Of life, OF
worship and Of industrial and social
development should be guaranteed to
all peoples who have lived hitherto
under the power of governments de-
voted to a faith and purpose hostile to
their own.
Il speak of this not because of any
desire TO exa an abstract political
principle. which has always been held
very dear by those who have sought to
build up liberty in America, but for the
same reason that l a spoken of the
other conditions Of peace, which seem
to me clearly Indispensable because 1
wish frankly to uncover realities. Any
peace which does not recognize and
accept this principle, will inevitably be
upset. 1t will not rest upon the af-
fections or the convictions of man
kind. The spirit Of whole populations
VIII fight subtly and constantly against
It. and all the world will sympathize.
n world can be at peace only IL it's
life is stable n there can be no liberty,
where the will is rebellion, where there
is not tranquility Of spirit and a sense
of justice and freedom and right.
so far as practicable, moreover,
every great people 10Y struggling
towards a full development Of it's re-
sources and OF it's powers, should be
a direct outlet to the great
highways Of the seas. Where this can
not be done by the cession of territory
1t can, no doubt be done by the neu-
Of direct rights of way
der the general guarantee which will
assure the peace itself. With a right
OF arrangement no nation need
be shut away from free access to the
open paths Of the worlds commerce.
Sea Must BE Free.
"And the paths Of the sea must alike
in law and in fact be free. The free
dom Of the seas is the sine qua non
peace, equality and cooperation. No
doubt a somewhat radical reConsid-
Of many of the rules of inter-
national practice hitherto sought to be
established may be necessary in order
make the seas indeed free and com
in practically all circumstances for
use Of mankind, but h motive for
such changes is convincing and COM
polling. There can be no trust or in
timacy between the peoples Of the
slant, unthreatened intercourse of ma
lions is an essential part Of the pro-
cess Of peace and of development. 1t
need not be difficult to define or to Sc
cure the freedom of the seas if the gov
ernments of the world sincerely desire
to come to an agreement concerning it.
ut is a problem closely connected
with the limitation Of naval ornaments
and the cooperation Of the navies of
the world in keeping with the seas at
free and safe. And the question
limiting naval ornaments opens the
wider and perhaps difficult question of
limitations of armies aid of all pro-
grams of military preparation. Diff
cult ard delicate as these questions are,
they mast be faced with the utmost
and decided in a spirit of real
accommodation if peace is to come
with healing its WOngs and come 10
Peace cannot be had without con-
cession and sacrifice. There can be
no sense OF safety and equality among
tho nations If great, preponderating ar
are henceforth TO continue
here and there to be built up and main
The statesmen of the world
adjust and accommodate their policy
to it as they have planned for war
and made ready for pitiless contest and
The questitl Of ornaments,
whether on land or sea, il the most i'm
mediately and intensely practical ques-
ton connected with the future fortunes
of nations and Of mankind. e.
Speaks Nations Sentiment.
II have spoken upon these great
without reserve and with the
eXplicitness because it has
seemed to me to be necessary If the
worlds yearning desire for peace was
to find free voice and utter
ance. Perhaps l am the only person in
high authority amongst all il peoples
of the world who is at liberty to speak
and hold nothing back. | am speaking
Is an individual and yet | am speaking
also, Of course, as the responsible head
OF a great government and l feel con-
fident that ] rave said what the people
Of the United States would wish me
to say. May I not add that / hope and
believe that | am, in effect, speaking
for liberals and friends of humanity in
every nation and for the silent mass Of
mankind everywhere, who have as yet
had no place or opportunity to speak
their real hearts out concerning the
death and ruin they see to have come
already upon the persons and h
homes they hold most dear.
And in holding out tho expectation
that the people and government Of the
States will join the other civil
lied nations of the world in guarantee
ing the permanence Of peace upon such
terms as ] have named, | speak with
the greater holiness and confidence,
hnnal1Sa ~ 10 .lonr RI oX-apy man ,U1,n