Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-06-15
WILSON STATES
AIMS IN WAR
- HEBH
Real Remedies For |njustices,
Not Words.
FALSE PEACE CRY EXPOSED
No change in Territory, But to Free
People; No Indemnities But for
Wrong Done.


People; No lndemnities But for
Wrong Done.
President Wilson, in a communlca
ton to the new government OF Russia
has made plain The war aims OF the
United States and its position on INC
annexation; no indemnities.
The presidents communication was
delivered by Ambassador Francis al
Petrograd. In full, it is as follows:
In view of the approaching visit oi
the American delegation to RUSSIA tc
express the deep friendship OF lhS
American people fer the people If Rus
sia and to discuss the best and mos
practical means of cooper. ton be
tween the two peoples in carlyng tle
present struggle for the freed, m CT al
peoples to a successful consumma loa
it seems opportune and appropr ate
that | should s,ate again, in the gl'
OF this new partnership, the obje~ Is
the United States has had III mind IL
entering the war. Those objects have
been very much beclouded u.ing thG
past few weeks by mistaken and mis-
leading statcments-and the issues a.
state are TOO momantCuS, too trem n
dous, too significant for the whcle III
man race 10 permit any miSlnterpre. "a
tions or misunderstanding, however
slight, to remain uncorrected Tor
moment.
The war has begun to go against
Germany, and in ttneir desperate DE
sire to escape the inevitable uitlm i!e
defeat those who are in authority II
Germany are using every possible e IN
strumentallty, are making use even o.
the influence Of groups and part1 IS
among their own subjects to Wh n
they have never been just or fair o.
even tolerant, to prOmoe propag IN
da on both sides o. the sea which Will
preserve Tor them tGeir influence al
home and their power abroad, to III
undoing of the very me2 they are Us
ing.
The position Of America in this wal
! is so clearly avowed that no man can
be excused fer installing it. Sac seek;
10 material profit or aggrand zeme II
of any kind. Sne is fighting for no ~
vantage or selfish object of her own
but for the liGerati. n Of psop-es every
where from the aggress!ons OF AUTO
cratic force. TIE ruling classes IN
Germany have begun of late to FRO
fess like liberality AMI justice OF pur
pose but only to preserve the power
they have set up in Germany and the
selfish advantages which they have
wrongly gained for themselves and
their private projects OF power all the
way from Berlin to Bagdad and be-
yond. Government after government
has by their influence, without open
conquest OF it's territory, been mixed
together in a net of intrigue directed
against nothing less than the peace
and liberty of the world. The meshes
of that intrigue must be broken, but
cannot be broken unless wrongs al
ready done are undone; and adequate
measures must be taken to prevent
it from ever again being reWoVen OF
repaired.
OF course, the imperial German gov
ernment and these whom it is using
for their own undoing are seeking to
obtain pledges that the war will enc
in the res. Grafton of the status quo
ante. 1t was the status quo ante out
of which this iniquitous war issued
forth-tne power OF the imperial CIR
man government within the emp re
and its widespread domination and in
iluence outside Of that empire. 7 al
status must be altered in such ia h
ion as to prevent any such h1dsols
thing from ever happening again. :.
We are fighting for liberty, the sell
government and the indicated devel
Cpment of all peoples, and every 1e>'
ture of the settlement that, conclude
this war must be conceived and exc
cuted for that purpose. wrongs mus
first be rightel and thcn adequate safe
guards must be created to prevent
their being committed again.
We ought not to consider rem dies
merely because they have a p,e2s.ns
and sonorous sound.
Practical questions can be set let
only by practical means. Phrases VII:
not accomplish the reSGlt. Effective
establishments will; an whatever re
adjustments are necessary must Dc
made.
and that prime: pie is pla!n. NO p:o:Le
must be forced unde! severe 6 ty, IN
der which it does not vi Il to live.
No territory must change ha&ds, eX
cent for the purpose OF secl r.Tg tc
those who inhsbiT it lair C anc3 o
life AMI liberty. No in lemnltlrs mus
be insisted on, except th1 1se thCt c0l
stitute payment for manifest w ongs
done. No readjust tments Ct power
must be made except such as VII tend
to secure the future peace Q: The WJll
and the future Wel!afe ana rap hess
And tCen the free peoples of the
world must draw toge h-r I some
common covenant s2m3 geHuiI &c and
PRACTICAL cooperation that viii In ef
feet combir thti: force TO secure
peqce and justice in tie dea 'ngS ol
nations with one another. The broth
erhood of mankind must no lenger be
a fair but empty phr:se; It INST be
given a structure Of force AMI reality
The nations must realize their com
mon life and effect a workable par
nership to secure their life against the
aggressions OF autocratic and sell
For these things we c3n afford tc
nour out blood and treasure. For these
are the things we have. always pro
fessed to desire, and unless we poul
ont blood and treasure now AMI sue
ceed we may never be able to unlte
or show corquering force again in the
great cause OF humsn lIber'y. The
day has come to conquer or submit
IF the forces of autocracy can divide
rs. they will overcome US; if we stand
together, victory is certain AMI tae
liberty which victory will secure. We
can afford then to be generous but we
cannot afford then or now to be weak
or omit anv single guarantee of justice
,,rsf