The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-09-07
WILSON REJECTS
PEACE PROPOSALS
PEACE REMOTE TILL KAISER is
CRUSHED, PRESIDENT TELLS
POPE BENEDICT.
World Must Be Freed From Menace
of Military Machine Controlled by
irresponsible Government That
Stops at Nothing in Its Plots.

Washington.-Pres Wilson has
rejected the pope's peace proposals. In
note dispatched August 27, but not
made public until the following night,
the president says that, while every
heart not blinded and hardened by the
terrible war must be touched by the
moving appeal of His Holiness, it
would be folly to take the path of
peace he points out If it does not in
fact lead to the goal he proposes.
TO deal with such a power as the
present rulers of Germany upon Pope
Benedict's plan, declares the president,
would involve recuperation of the
strength and renewal of the world
domination Of that power, now baked
but not defeated, after sweeping
continent with the blood of innocent
women and children and the helpless
poor, as well as of soldiers.
Permanent peace must be based up
on the faith Of all the peoples and
upon justice and fairness and the
common rights of mankind, he adds,
land we cannot take the word of the
present rulers of Germany as a guar
antee of anything that is to endure,
unless explicitly supported by such
conclusive evidence of the will and
purpose of the German people them
selves as the other peoples of the
world would be justified in accept
ing"
Text of the Note.
The text of the note follows:
august 81 1917.
ITO His Holiness, Benedictus XIV,
Pope.
''In acknowledgment of the COM
munication of Your Holiness to the
belligerent peoples dated August 1,
1917, the president of the United
States requests me 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
humane and generous motives which
prompted it, and must fervently wish
that he might take the path of peace
he so persuasively points out. But 1t
would be folly to take it if it 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 a mere cessation of arms he
desires; it is stable and enduring
peace. This agony must not be gone
through with again and it must be
a matter of very sober judgment what
will insure us against it.
Substance of Plan.
"His Holiness, in substance, proposes
that we return to the status quo ante
bellum and that then there be gen.
eral conformation, disarmament and a
concert of nations, based upon an ac-
ceptance of the principle of arbitra-
ton; that by similar concert free
dom of the seas be established; and
that the territorial claims of France
and Italy, the perplexing problems of
the Balkan states and the restitution
of Poland be left to such conciliatory
adjustments as may be possible in
the new temper of such peace, due
regard being paid to the aspirations
of the peoples whose political fortunes
and affiliations will be involved.
sit is manifest that no part of this
program can be successfully carried
out unless the restitution of the
status quo furnishes firm and salts
factory basis for it. The object of
pies of the world from the menace
and the actual power of vast mill
tary establishment controlled by an
irresponsible government which, hav-
ing secretly planned to dominate the
world, proceeded to carry the plan
out without regard either to the sacred
obligations of treaty or the long-es-
tablished 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
blood-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
defeated. the enemy of four-fifths OF
the world.
Must Protect the World.
'sThis power is not the German PEG.
pie. 1t is no business of ours how
that great people came under its con.
troll or submitted with temporary zest
to the domination of its purpose; but
it is our business to see to it that the
history of the rest of the world is nc
longer left to its handling.
ITO deal with such a power by way