The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-08-23

easily to recognize that if we had
always remained faithful to our re-
solve of absolute impartiality and to
our attitude of benevolence we have
not ceased to exhort the people and
the belligerent brothers again to be-
come brethren, although publicity
has not been given to all that we
| have done to attain this very noble
aim
Toward the end of the first year
of the war we addressed to the ma
| tions in conflict most lively exhorta-
part to be followed to arrive at a
stable and honorable peace for all.
| Unfortunately our appeal was not
heard and the war continued desper-
ately for another two years with all
it's horrors
1T became even more cruel and
extended over the earth, over the
lation and death descend upon the
cities without defense, upon peaceful
villages and on their innocent pOpu-
| latiOn, and now no one can imagine
how the sufferings of all would be
increased and aggravated ii other
months, or, worse still, other years
! are about to be added to this san
culinary thiennium
lis this civilized world to be moth
ing more than field of death? And
Europe, so glorious and SO flourish
ing, is it going as if stricken by
| universal madness to run to the
abyss and to lend its hand to it's
own suicide?
In such terrible situation and
in the presence of menace SO serious,
we who have no particular political
aim, who do not listen to suggestions
or to the interests of any of the bel
ligerent parties, are solely compelled
| by a sentiment of our supreme duty
as the common father of the faith
dren who implore our Intervention
and our pacifying work.
Through the voice even of hui
mainly, and OF reason we once more
emit the cry OF peace, and we renew
a pressing appeal to those who hold
in their hands the destinies of ma
tons. But in order no longer to
cumstances had counselled us in the
past we now wish to make more con
crete and practical proposals and to
invite the governments of the bellig-
erent peoples to come to an agree
ment upon the following points
and durable peace, leaving to them
the task of analyZing and completing
them
First of all the fundamental
points must be that the material {
force of arms be substituted by the |
moral force of right from which |
shall arise fair agreement by all !
diminution OF ornaments according |
to the rules and guarantees to be es-
tablished in a measure necessary and |
sufficient for the maintenance of |
public order in each state. Then in
the substitution for armies the insti-
tuition of arbitration with it's high |
pacifying function, according to the
alties imposed on a state which
would refuse either to submit ma
tional question to arbitration or to Il
accept it's decision
"Once the supremacy of right has II
thus been established all obstacles to
the means of communication of the
people would disappear by assuring,
by rules to be fixed later, the true
liberty and community of the seas
which would contribute to end the
numerous causes of conflict and
would also open to all the new
sources of prosperity and progress.
'.As to the damages to be repaired
and as to the war expenses we see
no other means of solving the ques-
ton than by submitting as a general
principle complete and reciprocal
condonation which would be justifi-
ed moreover by the immense benefit
to be derived from disarmament, so
much so that no one will undertake
the continuation of similar carnage II
solely for reasons of an economic or
der.
"If for certain cases there exist
particularsreasons, they would be de,
equity, but these pacific agreements
Belgium with the guarantee of her
derived from them, are not possible
without reciprocal restitution of II
the territory at present occupied.
Consequently on the part of Ger
many the complete evacuation of iii
Belgium with the guaranteed of her
full political, military and economic
independence towards it.
"The evacuation of French terri
tory.
"On the part of other belligerent
parties similar restitution of the Ger
man colonies.
Gas regards the territorial ques-
tons, as for example those which
have arisen between Italy and Aus
tria and between Germany and
France there is reason to hope that
in consideration of the immense ad-
vantage of durable peace with dis
armament, the parties in conflict
would wish to examine them with
conciliatory disposition, taking into
erly the aspirations of the peoples
and the special interests and the
general welfare of the great human II
society. II
"The same spirit of equity and JUS
tice ought to be following in the ex-
animation of other territorial and III
political questions, notably those