Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-08-29
President Wilson's Courteous Reply
to Proposals Recently Sent From
Vatican Concerning Peace.

!, yesterday iSPiiS" ~ '
posals Of Pope Benedict NF that the
United States must continue to hght
until it is satisfied that a peace
treaty would be more than another
scrap of paper" to be torn by Ger
manys rulers at will. His note is a
rejection Of peace at this time, but
! it leaves the door wide open for FUR
ther discussions and propositions
The. following is the text:
"To His Holiness Benedictus XIV.
| Pope: In acknowledgment of the
communication of your holiness to
the belligerent peoples, dated Aug
ust l, 1917, the President of the
/ United States requests ne to trans
nit the following reply:
every heart that has not been
blinded and hardened by this terrible
war must be touched by this NOV
ing appeal of his holiness the Pope,
must feel the dignity and force OF
the humane and generous motives
which prompted it and must fervent-
! " wish that we might take the path
/ of peace he so persuasively points
out. But it would be folly to take II
if it does not in fact lead to the
goal he proposes. Our response must
be based upon the stern facts and up
on nothing else 1t is not mere ces-
sation of arms he desires; it is
/ stable and enduring peace. This
agony must not be gone through
with again, and it must be matter
of very sober judgment what will IN
sure US against it.
"His holiness in substance proposes
! that we return to the status quo
ante bellum, and that then there be
general conformation, disarmament
and concert Of nations based upon
an acceptance of the principle OF
arbitration; that by similar con-
cert freedom of the seas be estab-
liShed: and that the territorial claims
of France and Italy, the perpleXing
problems of the Balkan states, and
the restitution of Poland be left TO
such conciliatory adjustments as may
be possible in the new temper OF
such peace, due regard being. paid
! to the aspirations of the, peoples
whose political fortunes and afflia-
tions will be involved.
ct is manifest that no pars Of
this program can be successfully car
ried out unless the restitution OF
status quo ante furnishes a firm and
satisfactory basis for it. The. object
of this war is to deliver the free
people of the world from the menace
and the actual power of a vast mill
tary establishment controlled by an
irresponsible government which, ,haV
ing secretly planned to dominate the
world, proceeded to carry the. plan
out without regard either, to the
sacred obligations of treaty or. the
long-established practices and long
cherished principles of internauona!!
action and honor; which chose its
own time for the war; delivered it's
blow fercely and suddenly; stoppei
at nd barrier either of Law or, OF
mercy; swept whole continent with
in the tide of blood-not the blood OF
soldiers only, but the blood OF, IN
nocent women and children also and
OF the helpless poor; and now stand ;
baked but not defeated, the enemy
of four-fifths of the world. !. This
; mower is not the German people. II
;s tho. ruthless master of the German
people. 1t is no business of ours ho|
that great people came under its
control or submitted with temporary
zest to the domination Of its purpose;
but it i our. business to see to 1T that
the history of the rest of the world
:, is no longer left to its handling.
"To deal with such a power by
wav of peace upon the plan proposed
by his holiness the Pope would, so
far as we can see, involve recupe-
ration Of it's strength and renewal
of its policy; would make it neces'
sary to create permanent hostile
combination of nations against the
German people, who are its instri'
r ments; and would result in abandon
ing the newborn Russia to the II
j trigue, the manifold subtle interfel
ence and the certain counter-revo'
luton which would be, attempted b!
y all the malign influences to which ta'
German government has of late ac
customed; the world. Can peace D'
based upon a, restitution OF its powel
or upon any word of honor it could
IN