Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-09-06

text of the note in which President
Wilson tells Pope Benedict the United
States can enter into no peace negoti.
ations looking toward the restoration
of the status quo ante bellum, and
cit would be folly to take the path of
peace" If il does not lead to the goal
pointed out by His Holiness:
To His Holiness, Benedict XIV, Pope:
In acknowledgment of the commu-
nication of Your Holiness to the bel
hgercnt peoples, dated Aug. 1, 1917,
the president of the United States re-
quests me to transmit the following
reply:
Every heart that has not been blind
ed and hardened by this terrible war
must be touched by this moving APP
peal of His Holiness; the pope must
feel the dignity and forces of the hu.
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 moth
fng else. II is not a mere cessation Of
arms he desires; it is a stable and en-
during peace. This agony must not
be gone through with again and it
must be a matter OF very sober judg-
ment what will insure us against it.
His Holiness in substance proposes
that we return to the status quo ante
bellum, and that then there be a gen.
eral conformation, disarmament and a
concert of nations, based upon accept
ance of the principle of arbitration,
that by a similar concert freedom of
the seas be established, and that the
territorial claims of France and Italy,
the peTpleXing problems of the Bal
kan states and the restitution of Pc
land be left to such conciliatory adj
justments as may be possible in the
new temper of such peace, due re-
gard being paid to the aspirations of
the peoples whose political fortunes
and affiliations will be involved.
1t is manifest that no part Of this
program can be successfully carried
out unless the restitution of the status
quo ante bellum furnishes a firm and
satisfactory basis for it, The object
OF this war is to deliver the free peo-
pies Of the world from the menace
and the actual power of vast mill
tary establishment controlled by an
irresponsible government, which, hav-
fng secretly planned to dominate the
world Ornpna6a5 n rarrt- rIoy, out
without regard either to the sacred
obligations of treaty or the lOng-estab-
lished practices and long cherished
principles of international action and
honor; which chose its own time for
the war, delivered its blow fiercely
and suddenly. stopped at no barrier
either of law or of mercy; swept a
whole continent within the tide OF
bIood-not the blood of soldiers only,
but the blood of innocent women and
children also, and of the helpless poor
and now stands baked, but not de-
feated, the enemy Of four-fifths of thu
world. This power is not the Ger
man people. II is the ruthless mas
ter of the German people. 1t is no
business of ours how that great peo-
pie came under its control or submit
ted with temporary zest to the DOM
nation OF it's purpose: hut it is our
business TO see to it that the history
of the rest of the world is no longer
left to its handling.
To deal with such pcw-r ly wy
OF peace upon the plan proro5ed b.
His Holiness, the pope, would. co far
as we can see, involve a recuperation
OF its strength and a renewal of its
policy; would make it necessary u
create a permanent hostile combina-
ton of nations against the German
people, who are its instruments; aid
would result in abandoning the NV
born Russia TO the intrigue, tie mani
fold subtle interferemces and the GER
tain counter-revolution which would
be attempted by all the malign intlu-
ences to which the German govern
meht has of late accustomed the
world. Can peace be based upon a
restitution of it's power or upon any
word of honor it could pledge in a
treaty Of settlement AMI accommoda-
ton?
Responsible statesmen must now
everywhere see, If they never saw be-
fore, that no peace can rest securely
upon political or economic restrictions
meant to benefit some nations and
cripple or embarrass others, upon vim
dictive action of any sort, or any kind
SN>~~~N.~N.rS~J~N~N.N
No Distinction.
Is there any place where a man
honestly believes a woman is his
equal?"
Certainly. The tax office"