Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-02-02

lived hitherto under the power OF gov
ernments devoted to a faith and pur
pose hostile to their own.
Conditions Clearly Indispensable.
/ speak Of this not because Of any
desire to -exalt an abstract political
principle which has always been held
very dear by those who have sought
to build up liberty in America, but for
the same reason that / have spoken
to the other conditions OF peace which
seem to me clearly indispensable be-
cause l wish frankly to uncover reali-
ties. Any peace which does not rec
ognize and accept this principle viii
inevitably be upset. IL will not rest
upon the affections or the convictions
of mankind. The ferment of spirit OF
whole populations will fight constant
ly against it, and all the world will
sympathize. The world a be at
peacc only IL its life is stable, and
there a be no stability where the
will is in rebellion, where there Is not
tranquility Of spirit and a sense Of
justice and freedom and right.
So far as practicable, moreover,
every great people 10Y struggling to-
wards a full development OF its re.
sources and of its powers should be
assured a direct outlet to the great
highways Of the seas. Where this eau
not be done without the cessation of
territory, 1t car no doubt be done with
the naturalization of direct rights Of
way under the general guarantee
which viii assure peace itself. With
a right comfy or arrangement no ma
tion need be shut away from free
access to the open paths of the worlds
commerce.
And the paths Of the sea must, alike
in law and in fact, be free. The free
dom Of the seas is the sine qua non
of peace, equality and cooperation.
No doubt a somewhat radical econ
sideration of many of the rules of in
ternational practice hitherto sought to
be established may be necessary in or
der to make the seas indeed free anC
common in practically all circum
stances for the use of mankind, bu'
the motive for such changes is con
vincing and compelling. There can bC
no trust or intimacy between the PEG
pies of the world without them.
The free, constant, unthreatened in
tercourse of nations is an e~ssentia
part Of the process OF peace and de
velopment. 1t need not be difficult t
define or to secure the freedom o
the seas, if the governments Of t.
world sincerely desire to come to al
agreement concerning It.
Navles Of World to Cooperate.
1t is a problem closely connected
with the limitation of naval arma
ments and the cooperation of thu
navies of the world in keeping tn
seas at once free and safe. And tn
question of limiting naval armament
opens the wider and perhaps more dill
ficult question of the limitation o
armies and of all programs of militar.
preparation. Difficult and delicate a
these questions are, they must b
faced with the utmost candor and de
cided in a spirit of real accommoda
ton If peace is to come with healin
in its wings and come to stay. Peac
cannot be had without cessation an
sacrifice. There can be no sense G
safety and equality among the ni
lions If great preponderating armi
continue here and there to be built u
and maintained.
Plan for Peace as for War.
The statesmen of the world mus
plan for peace and nations must a,
+ Just and accommodate their policy I
IL as they have planned for war an
made ready for pitiless contest an
= rivalry. The question Of armament
whether on land or sea, Is the mos
, Immediately and intensely practices
question connected with the futuT
fortunes of nations and of mankind.
j l have spoken upon these great ma
ters without reserve and with the u
! most eXplicitness, because it ha
I seemed to me to be necessary If tn
y worlds yearning desire for peace wa
anywhere to find free voice and u
: terance. Perhaps l am the only pc
. son in high authority amongst all III
D peoples of the world who is at libert
| to speak and hold nothing back.
u am speaking as an individual, and "
| am speaking also, of course, as Ii
/ responsible head of a great COVER
ment, and | feel confident that | hay
said what the people of the Unite
States would wish me to say.
u May ! not add that | hope and b
lieve that ! am in effect speaking Il
Z liberals and friends OF humanity
> every nation and of every program
/ liberty? l would fain believe that
am speaking for the silent
, mankind everywhere, who have as y
had no place or opportunity to spea
their real hearts out concerning Il
death and ruin they see to have con
already upon the persons and Il
homes they hold most dear.
Monroe Doctrine Preached for Worl
And in holding out the %expectatiC
that the people and government of Il
h United States will Join the other civ
= lized nations of the world In guara
- teeing the permanence OF peace upC
= such terms as ! have named, spec
= with the greater holiness and con.
q dence because II is clear 20 every ms
II who can think that there is in tn
70 promise no breach in either our TT
u ditions or our policy as a nation. b
~ a fulfillment, rather. Of all that '
Is have %professed or striven for.
U am proposing, as IL were, that q