The sun., 1917-05-24
PRESIDENT AIMS
TO GUIDE RUSSIA
Plans Step to Thwart Ger
man Intrigue and "No An
nexation" Sophistry.
HE AGREES WITH RIBOT
RetributiOn, Not Indemnity
Justice, Not Vengeance, to
Be L. S. Stand.

son In the near future will outline the
position which the United States has
taken in the world war and the objects
which this Government Is determined to
see accomplished before considering
peace.
While the American attitude will be
defined for the general benefit of all ma
tions 1t will be for the particular pur-
pose OF enlightening the new Russian
democracy and offsetting the dangerous
effect OF the German inspired mo an
nexation. no indemnity" demand. This
has apparently become the slogan of
certain misled Socialist factions which,
this Government believes. fail to realize
the sophistry of the German move to
secure peace.
News that the President was consider
ing outlining this nations position as an
answer to the request OF certain factions
in Russia for more light on the Entente
Allies war aims was forthcoming to-day
from official sources. Avowal was made
OF this Governments entire sympathy
with the statements made by Premier
Ribot in the French Parliament yester-
day.
Wilson Agrees With Ribot.
Premier Ribot is the first OF the
Entente statesmen officially to expose
the trickery of the German world peace
slogan. He made 1t clear that retribu-
ton would be demanded by the Entente
for wrongs done by ths German autoc-
racy and that Alsace- Lorraine must be
restored to France. President Wilson's
policy fully indorses this.
The President. II Is stated. will make
! his reasons for this clear and at the
same time take the stand that other ter q.
ritorial changes demanded by the
Entente must be made. lie will explain
that future world peace must rest on
some more substantial basis than mo
annexation" phrase II this is to Imply
that small nations or peoples are thereby
10 remain under the sovereignty of ma
tions which have merely established
their right by aggression and not by the
consent Of the peoples they seek TO gov
ern.
The feature Of the Presidents dehni-
ton OF this nations attitude Will be to
emphasize the fundamental principles on
which future peace and justice in the
world the ideals that Russian democ-
racy seeks, can be established. The cor
nerstone OF the Presidents policy. II is
said. is that Governments must derive
their power from the consent of the gov
erned.
Peoples. whether great or small. must
be granted equal rights and nationallties
must be respected in future territorial
adjustments The treatment OF peoples
as mere property to be traded about on
the German theory OF conquered terri
tory must be relegated TO the age OF
barbarism, where it Belongs. according
TO the President
For No Punitive AnnexatiOns.
The thought of annexations OF peoples
as punishment TO Germany or to ac-
quire certain other war aims Is abso-
lutely opposed to the Presidents aims.
There would be. therefore, no question or
anneXations IN the general sense which
this term signifies In peace treaties OF
the past, But whatever annexations are
involved in restoring to nationalities or
peoples the right TO throw off unwel-
come foreign sovereignty or domination
will form an integral and all important
part of the Presidents programme.
Thus Alsace-Lorraine is recognized as
belonging to France. This is because
the people OF these "lost provinces" are
as much a part of France In spirit and
from French control by Prussian mill
tary power. Trieste belongs to Italy on
the same basis. because the people there
are regarded as having the right to be
governed according to their will and
their nationality and not according to the
Austrian decree Of sheer power.
The same principles apply to the
Slavonic couneries whose national as
pirations have been the playthings Of the
! ptSr as. .slFi 10
recognition OF the Presidents funda-
mental principle that Governments OF the
! European nations must be established by
the consent OF the governed there is no
question of annexations. Both the Brit
ish and French Governments unquali-
fledly indorse this principle.
Gernany's Viewpoint.
Germany. on the other hand. has taken
the stand that Governments derive their
power from the conquest OF the gov
erned. II is against this principle that
the joint champions of democracy have
pledged their lives and resources IN a
war to determination II necessary.
The President believes. it IL under
stood. that once the question OF terri
toral sovereignty has been adjusted
along this line the United States and the
Entente will be able 10 "set up among
the really free and self-governlng peo-
pies of the world such a concert OF pur-
pose OF action as will henceforth insure
the observance OF peace and Justice In
the life OF the world MS against selfish
and autocratic power
The United States is convinced that
the Russian democracy will embrace this
ideal AS wholeheartedly and unreseryedly
as the other nations OF the Entente. The
| ideals of Russia are regarded by the
! President TO be precisely along these
| lines. This countrys object now is TO
keep Russia on the straight path in pur-
suance of these IDEAS instead OF giving
an ear to 'quack peace remedies" pro-
posed by German influences.
"No Indemnity" Slogan.
Besides the mo annexation" phrase
| there Is the mo indemnity" slogan which
| the Teutons are using as catchword
for unsuspecting persons In Russia. ON
cials here believe that Premier Ribot has
expressed the joint ideas of the United
States and the Entente clearly on this
point.
President Wilson's object and the oh
| ject OF the American people, II IL ex-
planned, is ito vindicate the principles OF
peace and Justice, outraged by German
autocracy In the present war.
'Our motto will not be revenge" the
| President said In his address to Con.
gress, ''or the victorious assertion Of the
physical might Of the nation, but only
oo~st~ssS -as sseosa Pae& :
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