Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-09-07
WILSON REJECTS
KAISER IN PEACE
Says Power to End War Held
BY German People,
SPEAKS FOR The ENTENTE
Presidents Reply TO Pope's Plea Ends
Projects For Compromise Peace-De-
ciares Against Economic War.

clares Against Economic War.
The text of President Wilson's re-
ply to the pope's peace proposal was
officially made public.
The presidents note is regarded az
finally settling the question of dealing
with present German rulers uncon-
quered or uncurbed at home.
The president makes it clear that a
lasting and durable peace can be nego'
tiated only on a complete understand.
ing with the German people, and not
alone on unstable guarantees Of the
existing government.
This rejection of the popes peace
proposal is regarded in Washington
as the high water mark of the war.
Furthermore, L. is indicative OF the
virtual selection of the president by
the allies as their spokesman before
the world.
There appears to be no doubt that
the United States was selected to
make answer before the world, in ad.
vance of all the others. Whether the
entente nations will send extensive
replies is not known. 1t is regarded
as probable that they will in large
measure adopt the presidents reason
ing for their own and send notes OF
Endorsement. They may indeed, have
done so already.
The general tenor of the presidents
reply had been anticipated everywhere
but there was no inkling of the force
full terms he would employ to say that
the world can have no faith in the
autocratic government of Germany.
President Wilson's reasons for re
jecting the pope's profer of peace are
contained in the following extracts
from his renly:
"The object Of this war is to de-
liver free peoples of the world from
the menace and the. actual power OF
a vast military estabirhment control
led by an irresponsible government.
w,1iah stopped ct no barrier.
either of lew or mercy; swept whole
continent within The tide Of blood
and now stands baked, b1t
not defeated. the enemy of four-fifths
of the world. To del with
such powc" by way IF peace upon the
plan proposed bv his holiness, the
pope. would. 81 for as we can see, in
volve a regeneration Of its strength
and a rencw2l cf its policy
and would result in abandoning the
newborn Prssia."
Irresponsible statesmen must now
everywhere see that nc
peace can rest securely upon political
or economic restrictions meant to ben
eft some nations and cripple or EN-
barrass others: upon vindictive actor
of any sort or any kind, or Of revenge
or deliberate injury"
"The American poop,e have suffer
ed intclorahle wrongs at the hands oil
the impeTial German government, but
they desire no recrisal upon the Ger
man people. who have. themselves.
suffered all things in this war, which
they did no. choose"
"The test. therefore, of every pan
of peace is this: Is il based upon the
faith of all tie reor!es involved, OF
mercy rpcn The work # ambition and
Intriguing governments. on the one
hand, and a group Of free peoples on
the other? r. is the test
wki"h must be applied"
eve seek no material advantaDe Of
anv kind. We believe that the intol
erahle wrongs done in this war by
the furious and brutal power of the
inre~jal G rnan government ought tc
b. ro72irod but not at the expense
os ths sorarei@nty of any people
rather vim lication of the sovereignty
both CT those that are weak and those
thPt are strong"
Punitive damages, the dismember
mont Of emrires, the establishment OF
solfeh and exclusive leagues we deem
incypc.'icnt and, in the end, worse
t&an futile. no proper basis for peace
of anv kind. least of all for an enduring
ncace. That must be based upon jus
tice and fairness and the common
rights of ma kind"
awe cannct take the word Of the
present rulers cf Germany as guar
antee O. anvil: ing th1t is to endure, un.
less explicitly supported by such con
elusive evidence Of the will and pur
pose CT the German people themselves
as the othr peoples Of the world would
be justified in accepting"
1--WE must await some new evidence
of the purposes of the great peoples
Of the central powers