The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-01-26

commerce.
"And the paths of the sea must
alike in law and in fact be free. The
freedom OF the seas is the sine qua
non of peace, equality and co-opera-
tion. No doubt somewhat radical
reconsideration of many OF the rules
Of international practice hitherto
sought to be established may be nee
essary in order TO make the seas in
deed free and common in practically
all circumstances for the use OF man
kind, but the motive for such changes
Is convincing and compelling, There
can be no trust or intimacy between
the peoples of the world without
them. The free, constant, unthreat-
ened intercourse of nations is an es-
sential part of the process of peace
and OF development. Ii need not be
difficult to define or to secure the
freedom OF the seas if the govern
ments of the world sincerely desire
to come to an agreement concerning
1t.
1T is a problem closely connected
with the limitation of naval arma-
ments and the cooperation Of the
navies of the world in keeping the
9Ntlo AN OhNb llNt anu SAFE anu Inc
question of limiting naval armaments
opens the wider and perhaps more
difficult question of the limitation of
armies and of all program of military
preparation. Difficult and delicate
as these questions are, they must be
faced with the utmost candor and de-
cided in spirit of real accommodation
If peace is to come healing in its
wings and come to stay. Peace can
not be had without concession and
sacrifice. There can be no sense of
safety and equality among the nations
If great preponderating armaments
are henceforth to continue here and
there to be built up and maintained.
The statesmen of the world must plan
for peace and nations must adjust and
accomodate their policy to it as they
have planned for war and made ready
for the pitiless contest and rivalry.
The question of armaments, whether
on land or sea, is the most immedi-
ately and intensely practical question
connected with the future fortunes of
nations and of mankind.
Il have spoken upon these great
matters without reserve and with the
utmost eXplicitness because ii has
seemed to me to be necessary If the
worlds yearning desire for peace was
anywhere to find free voice and ut
terance. Perhaps / am the only per
son in high authority amongst all the
peoples of the world who is at liberty
to speak and hold nothing back. l
am speaking as an individual, and
yet l am speaking also, of course, as
the responsible head of a great gov
ernment, and l feel confident that |
have said what the people of the Uni |
ted States would wish me to say. |
May not add that hope and believe |
that l am in effect speaking for lib
erals and friends of humanity in ev-
cry nation and of every programme |
of liberty? l would fain believe that |
am speaking for the silent mass of |
mankind everywhere who have as yet |
had no place or opportunity to speak |
their real hearts out concerning the |
death and ruin they see to have come |
already upon the persons and homes |
they hold most dear.
"And in holding out the expecta-
tion that the people and government
of the United States will join the 9th
er civilized nations of the world in
guaranteeing the permanence of
peace upon such terms as l have nam
ed I speak with the greatest boldness
and confidence because it is clear to
every man who can think that there
is in this promise no breach in either
our traditions or our poliTy as ma
tion, but a fulfillment rather of all
that we have professed or striven for
II am proposing as it were, that
the nations should with one accord
adopt the doctrine of President Mon
roe as the doctrine of the world:
That no nation should seek to extend
its policy over any other nation or
people, but that every people should
he left free to determine its own pol
icy, it's own way of development, un-
unthreatened, unafraid, the
little along with the great and power
full.
II am proposing that all nations
henceforth avoid enJangling alliances
which would draw them into competi-
tions of power, catch them in a net
of intrigue and selfish rivalry, and
disturb their own affairs with influen-
ces intruded from without. There is
no entangling alliance in concert of
power. When all unite to act in the
same sense and with the same pur-
pose, all act in the common interest
and are free to live their own lives
under a common protection.
II am proposing government by the
consent of the governed; that free
dom of the seas which, international
after conference, repre-
5entatives of the United States have
urged with the eloquence of those
who are convinced disciples of liber-
Ly; and that moderation of armament
which makes of armies and navies
power for order merely, not an in
strument of aggression or Of selfish
violence.
"These are American principles,
American policies. We can stand for
no others. And they are also the
and policies of forward
looking men and women everywhere
Of every modern nation, of every en-
ightened community. They are
of mankind and must pre-
vail"
nNRARAVCOIOAIrnO