The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-23

|
1.-THE treaties and agreements which
bring it to an end must embody terms
which will create a peace that is
worth guaranteeing and preserving. a
peace that will win the approval OF
mankind; not merely a peace that will
serve the several interests and imme-
date aims of the nations engaged.
ave shall have no voice in de.
terminine what those terms shall
be, but we shall, ] feel sure, have
voice in determining whether
they shall be made lasting or not
covenant, and our Judgment upon
what is fundamental and essential
as a condition precedent to per-
manency should be spoken now
not afterwards, when it may be
too late.
"No, covenant of cooperative
peace that does not include the
flee to keep the future safe
against war and yet there is only
one sort of peace that the peoples
Of America could join in guaran-
teeing.
"The elements of that peace must
be elements that engage the conf
dence and satisfy the principles OF
the American governments, elements
consistent with their political faith
and the practical convictions which
the peoples of America have once for
all embraced and undertaken to de-
fend. .-- .
Must Create Power to Enforce Terms,
Il do not mean to say that any
American government would throw
any obstacle in the way of any terms
Of peace the governments now at war
might agree upon, or seek to upset
them when made, whatever they
that mere terms Of peace between the
belligerents themselves. Mere agree
belliberents themselves. Mere agree
ments may not make peace sure.
1t will be absolutely necessary
that q force be created as guar
antee of the permaneney of the
settlement so much greater than
the force of any nation now en-
| gagged or any alliance hitherto
formed or projected, that no ma
ton, no probable combination of
nations could face or Withstand it.
IF the peace presently to be made
is to endure it must be a peace
made secure by the organized
major force of mankind.
The terms of the immediate peace
agreed upon will determine whether
d
| can be secured,
Community, Not Balance of Power.
THE question upon which the whole
future peace and policy Of the world
depends is this:
sis the present war a struggle
for a just and secure peace or
only for a new balance of powerY
IF it be only struggle for new
balance Of power, who will guarantee
hn Gfo Ia
rum of the new arrangement? Only
a tranquil Europe can be a stable
Europe. There must be, not a bal
ance of power, but community OF
power; not organized rivalries, but
an organized common peace.
Fortunately we have received very
explicit assurances on this point. The
statesmen of both the groups Of ma
tions now arrayed against one anoth-
er have said, in terms that could not
be misinterpreted, that it was no part
of the purpose they had in mind to
crush their antagonists.
| implies, First, Peace Without Victory
But the implications of these as
surances may not be equally clear to
all-may not be the same on both
sides of the water. j think it will be
serviceable If / attempt to set forth
what we understand them to be.
"They imply first Of all, that it
| must be a peace without victory.
"It is not pleasant to say this. / beg
\ that l may be permitted to put my
own interpretation upon it and that
| it may be understood that no other
| Interpretation was in my thought.
am seeking only to face realities and
to face them woitout soft conceal
ments. K
Victory would mean peace
! forced upon the loser, q victor's
! terms imposed upon the van
quished. 1t would be adopted in
Humiliation, under duress at an
/ intoIerabIe sacrifice and would
/ leave a sting, resentment,
bitter memory upon which terms
i of peace would rest, not perma-
nently, but only nc upon quick
sand"
"Only a peace between equals car
last; only a peace the very principle
of which is equality and common
participation in a common benefit.
Equality of Rights Real Foundation
j 1.-THE right state of mind, the RICH
feeling between nations, is as neces
sary for lasting peace as is the jus
settlement Of vexed questions of terri
tory or OF racial and national allegi
ance.
"The equality lof nations upon
which peace must be founded, If it