McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-09-07
KAISER IS OUTLAW
SAYS PRESIDENT
UNITED STATES REJECTS PoPE's
PEACE oFEER--sAYs GER.
MANI NOT SINCERE.
WOULD Be "scRAP OF PAPER"
Wilson Speaks For All Allies and
Leaves Way Open For Other Ef-
ferts To Come In More Prac-
ticai Way From Vatican.

"SsniAb Ioh'--r IcSiuenL WILSON mas
rejected the peace proposals of Pope
Benedict XIV at this time.
In a note sent to the pope, he de-
clares that the United States must con.
tinue to fight until it is satisfied that
a peace treaty would be more than
another scrap Of paper" to be torn by
Hermany's rulers at will.
The text of the note follows:
'tais Holiness. Benedictus XIV, Pope:
In acknowledgment of the commune
ication Of your holiness to the belliger-
emit peoples, dated Aug. /, 1917, the
president Of the United States requests
ms to transmit the following reply:
Every heart that has not been
blinded and hardened by this terrible
war must be touched by this moving
appeal Of his holiness, the pope, must
feel the dignity and force of the hui
name and generous motives which
prompted it, and must fervently wish
that we might take the path of peace
he SO persuasively points out. But it
would be folly to take it if 1t does not
in fact lead to the goal he proposes
Our response must be based upon the
stern facts and upon nothing else. 1t
is not mere cessation of arms he de.
sires; 1t is stable and enduring peace
This agony must not be gone through
with again, and IL must be a matter
of very sober judgment that 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 gen.
era1 conformation, disarmament and a
concert of nations based upon an &C.
ceptance of the principle of arbitra.
fion; that by similar concert free
dom of the seas be established; and
that territorial claims of Franco and
italy, the perplexing problems of the
Balkan states, and the restitution Of
Poland be left to such conciliatory ad-
justments as may be possible of the
peoples whose political fortunes and
affiliations will be involved.
insincerity Suspected.
sit Is manifest that no part of this
program can be successfully carried
out unless the restitution of the status
quo ante furnishes firm and salts
factory basis for it. The object of this
war is to deliver the free peoples OF
the world from the menace and the ac-
tual power of vast military establish
ment controlled by an irresponsible
government which, having secretly
planned to dominate the world, pro-
ceeded to carry the plan out without
regard either to the sacred obligations
of treaty or the long established prac-
ices and long cherished principles of
international action and honor; which
chose its own time for the war, deliv-
cred its blow fiercely and suddenly;
stopped at no barrier, either of law or
Of mercy; swept whole continent
within the tide of blood-not the blood
OF soldiers only, but the blood of inho
cent women and children also, and of
the helpless poor; and now stands
baked, but not defeated, the enemy Of
four-fifths of the world. This power is
not the German people. 1t Is the ruth
less master of the German people. 1t
Is no business of ours how that great
people came under its control or sub
mitted with temporary zest to the DOM
ination of its purpose; but 1t is our
business to see to 1t that the history of
the rest Of the world Is no longer left
to its handling.
ITO deal with such power by way
OF peace upon the plan proposed by
his holiness, the pope, would, so far as
we can see. involve recuperation Of
its strength and renewal of its pol
icy; would make it necessary to Gre
ate permanent hostile combination
OF nations against the German people,
who are its instruments; and would
result in abandoning the newborn
Russia to the intrigue, the manifold
subtle interference and the certain
counter-revolution which would be at
tempted by all the malign influences to
which the German government has of
late accustomed the world. Can peace
be based upon restitution of its pow
er or upon any word of honor 1t could
pledge in a treaty Of settlement and
accommodation?
Irresponsible statesmen must now
everywhere see, II they never saw be-
fore, that no peace can rest securely
upon political or economic restrictions
meant to benefit some nations and
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GAS MASKS FOR SOLDIERS.