The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-01-23
WILSON, Urges y. S. TO H. dd World
League to Enforce Lasting Peace

for a new balance OF power II IL be
only a struggle for new balance OF
power. who VIII guarantee who can
guarantee. the stable equilibrium OF
the new arrangement? only tran
| There must be. not balance OF
| power but community % power.
not organized ri,alrles. but an or
ganized common neace.
Fortunately We have received very
| explicit assurances on this point.
| The statesmen Of both OF the groups
| OF nations now arranged against one
another. have sought terms that
could not he misinterprfted. that II
was no part OF the purpose they had
I H. mind 20 crush their antagonist.
| Rut the implications Of these assur-
ances may not DO equally clear TO
sides OF the water ! think u viii be
serviceahle n I attempt 20 set forth
what we understand them 10 he.
they imply. nrst OF all. that ~
must he . peace without vietory. u
o. not pleasant 10 say this. beg
that ! may he permitted To put my
own Interpretation upon "a. and ~
| n,sy he understood that no other tn
! depreciation was In my Thought.
! am seeking only TO face realities snd
: TO face them without soft conceal
ments. Victory would mean peace
forced apon the loser. victor's
terms upor the vnnauished. u would
/ he accepted In humiliation, under du-
ress. at an iutoI~rsble sacrifice. and
would lesve sting. u resentment. a
btttery memory upon which terms of
peace would rest. not permanently.
hat only NJ upon quicksaBd. on d
peace between equals can last. Only
! "a peace the very principle Of which
is equalit and common narticiDatton
! in a common benefit. The right state
of mind. the right feeling between
/ Ia In efF.ff
peace as is the just settlement ~
! v,Ned questions 81 territory or OF
racial and national allegiance.
Tho equality OF. nations upon which
! peace must be founded. n " Is 20
! iast. must be an equality ~ rights'
the guarantees exchanged must
neither recognize Or Imply q diner-
enco between big nations and small.
! between those that are powerful and
! those that arc weak Right must be
based upon the common strength. not
upon individual strength. of the an
lions upon whose concert peace will
depend. Equality of territor, or Of
resources there. Of coarse. cannot he {
nor any other sort of equality not
gained In the ordinary peaceful and
legitimate Development Of the peoples
poets anything more than an equality
4 OF rights Mankind - looking new
| for freedom az life, not for eani-
I poises 81 power.
Freedom Nust Prevail
| And there ~ deeper thing in
VOWED than even equality % right
among organized nations. No p-sre
can last. "r ought 10 last. which does
not recognize md sccept the prin-
cipIr that governments derive NIL
their just powers from the consent OF
the governed snd fhst no right any
| wsere exists 20 hand peoples shout
! from sovereignty Ia Sovereignty as
a. they were property. We may take
i s..N 90 "a a NJ "a n
venture upon single example, thai
statesmen everywhere are agreed
! that there should be united. inde-
pendent and autonomous Poland, AMI
| that henceforth inViolahie security Of
| lite. u wor ship and OF industrial and
social development should be guar
antced TO all peoples who have nN"d
| hitherto under the power Of govern
rncnts devoted 10 faith ana purpose
hostile 10 their own
pea, Of this. MOI because Of any
d't,.r go eNaii an abstract political
I prinCipls which has ways been held
/ very dear rs those have sougtl
/ 10 build NJ liberty "a. America. but
! foT the same reason that have
/ spoken al the other conditions on
I peace. which seem 10 me clearly in
dispense ble--because / wish frankly
/ 90 uncover realities Any peace
/ which does not recognize and accept
this principle viii inevitably be up
set
II Will not rest upon the sNec-
/ tions or the convictions 81 mankind.
] The Torment Of spirit Of whole poph-
lations viii nght subtly and con-
| stantly against II. and all the world
will sympathiks The world can be
/ at peace only II It's life - stable.
and there can be no stability where
! the VIII Is in rebellion. where there
| IS not tranquility 81 spirit and a
sense OF justice. OF freedom and OF
! right
! 80 TAR as practicable. moreover.
/ every great people now etruEg Cling
] towards a full Development OF ITS re-
sources ana of rs powers should DO
| afforded a direct outlet 90 the great
! highways ~ tho sea. While this
canno' b. done by the cession of tyr
Tttory. " can uG doubt hc done by
! the naturalization ~ direct rights-
/ OF WAY under the general guarantee
which VIII assure tho resco tseif
with rtsht cafuity arrange nlcrt
no nation need 30 shut away frun
fIe~ nece tu the open paths - th"
atstld's commerce
Freedom Of seas
And the paths OF Tho sea must alike
IA law and IN fact De free Tn" fgeT-
dom ~ the seas ~ tho sine qua non
OF peace. eouaiitN and cooperation
sideration of many ~ the rules of In
ternatonal practice hitherto thought
! To he established may be necessary
| IN order 10 make the seas indeed free,
and common in practically all cir
| cumsfanCes. for the use. OF mankind.
but tho motive for such changes IL
convincing and compelling. There
can BE- no trust or intimacy between
tho peoples OF the world W. hnut
them. The free. constant. unthreat-
cncd intercourse 81 nations ~ an es-
scntial part ~ the process OK peace
and development II need not be
difficult either 10 deNne or 20 secure
| the freedom OF the seas II the
! governments Of tho world slncerelY