Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-01-31

group of strong nations allied them
selves against another group of strong
nations, and each group used the
weaker nations to increase its own
strength or diminish that of its ad-
versary must give place to the Amer
lean theory Of an inherent equality
of rights among men and nations. No
nation must claim rights simply be-
cause it is strong, and withhold them
from another nation simply because
it is weak 4
Surely, this is good American doc
trine. It is more than that; 1t is
Christian doctrine. 1t is the principle
stated by Jesus, when he said: Zone
is your master, even Christ, and all
We are brethren" and by Paul, when
he said: in honor preferring one an
other"
Closely allied with this is third
principle, upon which the President
says the future peace of the world
must be based, if it is to be enduring:
The nations of Europe must recog-
nize the further American principle
that governments derive their just
power only from the consent of the
governed" That means when applied
to European conditions, that no nation
has right to incorporate smaller
nation into it's own territory against
the will of that smaller nation, and
that the weaker nations must not be
handed about from one sovereignty to
another, as if their people were mere
property. All through the history OF
Europe this has been done. If it con-
tinues to be done, the fires of hatred
and resentment will continue to glow
and flame forth into other wars. No
league of nations, says the President,
which fails to recognize this princi-
pie can be joined by the American
people. This is only another form of
the Christian principle that no man
and no nation has a right to lord it
over others.
The fourth principle is that every
nation in Europe shall be accorded a
free outlet to the sea. The seas are
the great highways of the world. a
nation shut off from the sea is like g
farmer shut off from the public road.
1t is imprisonment. The demand of
any nation for access to the sea is a
just demand. There is no reason in the
world why Russia should not have the
free use OF the Dardanelles. Neither is
there reason why Russia, Turkey, or
any other nation, should own the OAR
danelles, with power to prevent others
from passing through. One Of the
most fruitful causes of war in the
past has been the struggle of some ma
lions for an outlet to the sea, and the
,piggish disposition of other nations
to prevent them from gaining it.
President Wilson's fifth principle is
that the nations must recognize in fact
as we'll as in theory, the freedom Of
the seas. That is to say, upon the
high seas every nation in the world
must be accorded the same rights as
every other nation. In theory this has
has been recognized and in times of
peace fairly in practice; but in war
times little attention has been paid
to it. In 1912 we were involved in a
European war because our rights up
on the seas were set aside The same
situation exists now If we had chOs-
en- to insist upon our rights, we should
have been in the war long before this.
So long as the strong nations continue
to violate the freedom Of the seas, they
are simply providing kindling wood
for future world CONGREGATIONS. These
two things alone, the right of nation
al access to the sea, and the right to
national freedom on the sea, will con-
tinue to produce war after war, until
they are recognized in fact as we'll as
in theory.
And the sixth principle upon which
the peace of the future must be based
if it is to endure. is reduction Of
ornaments, both military and naval.
Under the principle Of the league of
nations advocated by the president,
every nation is entitled to a military
establishment strong enough to uphold
law and order within it's own borders,
and navy strong enough to assist in
unfolding law and order on the high
seas and in the less civilized parts of
the earth; but no nation shall be per-
mitted to build up a military or naval
power strong enough for aggressive
purposes.
These are the principles upon which
the future peace of the world must
bo hoeod hoforo tho IInited Stafea ran