The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-08-15
POPE PROPOSES
BASIS FOR PEACE
Would Restore All Conquered
Territory.
SUGGESTS FREEDOM OF SEAS
Fcntiff Favors Peaceable Discussion OF
Aisace-Lorraine. Trent. Trieste and
PoIand-opposed to Forced Indemni


Washington, Aug. l5.-Specific and
concrete conditions, which his hoii.
| ness. pope Benedict. believes NAV form
! the basis of world peace, have been
! forwarded to the rulers OF all nations.
! The pope. III outlining these condi.
, tons. makes new and general appeal
| for the restoration of peace.
| An unofficial outline which has been
! received discloses that the pontiff in.
! cludes in his suggestions PRINCIPLES for
! which President Wilson, in the past,
has declared
Among the proposals are reduction
! OF ornaments. freedom of the seas, and
/ that there shall be no retaliatory strug.
I gle after the war for world commercial
I supremacy. These are regarded as
| the foundation stones of the pope's
plan.
The p0pe's proposal declares the in.
! juries to all belligerents have been Sc
great. there should be no thought of
Teparetion except for the return OF
territory.
Unqualified approval of President
I Wilson's plan 10 avoid future wars by
an International organization which
! shall have behind it power to enforce
! its judgments. is given.
! Included in the restoration of ter
! ritory, the pope's proposal insists
should be the return to Germany of al
! colonies. as we'll as the complete res
| tOratfon Of Belgium to her sovereign
! ty.
Although special efforts are being
made to facilitate its transmission te
the Taited States. this may not be
effected for day or two.
Meanwhile. an accurate outline oil
the principal points Of the communica
ton is in the hands of the government
Already it has received thoughtful con
sideration.
In eloquent language. the pontiff de
scribes the terrible conditions existing
In Europe. Europe. he says, is head
ed for destruction unless the belliger
| ents will listen to the appeals of dis
interested friends to cease a sucida
. war
Such conditions. the pope feels, am
ply justify him in taking the present
opportunity to suggest what NAV be
he hopes at least a foundation upon
| which peace negotiations may be
started.
It is fnconceivable the pope holds
that permanent peace can be maintain
ed unless the various peoples are will
ing to gather in an amity founded upon
a recognition of national rights
Any attempt to prevent free econom
tc election between the relligerents
the pope points ont. would be disast
rous. Therefore. he says, there must
i 10 freedom OF the seas in all that the
term implies.
In spirit of Cancellation and just
Ice, he says. all the belligerents must
submit to accept the losses they have
! sustained, except in the matter of ter
ritory. Beside the questions of indem
nifty and reparation, the pope says
there must be no continuation of the
war by an economic struggle for su
premacy thereafter. which would be
purely evil.
This refers directly to the so-called
Paris economic conference, which was
followed by one n Vienna, where the
effort was made to bind the belligsr
ents on either side after the war tc
have virtually no commercial relations
! with their late enemies.
On the disposition of occupied ter
ritory, and territorial ambitions of the
belligerents. the pope, by way of pref
ace, admits special cases might justify
special consideration and still be ad
justed in conformity with the prin
ciples of equity and justice.
AS a general proposition, he feels &
proper basis for discussion would be
the restoration al once of all territory
now in enemy occupation. That would
involve liberation Of Belgium. leaving
not trace Of German control, political
or military. The same principle Of un
he says, should prevail in regard tt
every power and nation.
Not only must French territory nov
occupied by German be restored tt
France. he says, but all German colo
MES which have been occupied by
England. Portugal. Belgium and Japal
should be returned to Germany
The more difficult question of Ital;
Trredenta. the pope thinks, should b,
examined in a spirit of Cancellation
and that special consideration SHOULD
be given to national aspirations.
Likewise the pope holds that thu
complex questions involved in read
justment of the Bankan states shoult
be considered in the same spirit o
equity and justice. He has especial,
in mind Armenia. the Balkans ant
Poland
The intimation conveyed is tina
these questions can be dealt with b.
direct diplomatic exchanges by the bel
| Hgerents. once an agreement Is reach
ed upon the general principles of re
cognition of national aspirations ant
Justice.
The proposals. which already have
! been delivered to the resident ambas
sailors and ministers of the warrint
powers in Rome, is quite long They
make IN PRINT something more than a
column of large newspaper type.
At best, the pope's proposals are
suggested only as a rough basis for
( such negotiations. He realizes that
the details in all their complexity must
/ be worked ont patiently and in a spirit
| OF Cancellation by the belligerents
/ thems elves.
! The state department acknowledged
| that it had received unofficial knowl.
edge OF the pope's proposal before
/ news dispatches from Rome were re.
! ceived.
No official cognizance can be taken
OF it until the proposal is conveyed
/ officially. Whatever consideration is
given to 1t will be after consultation
with the allies.