The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-01-18

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and appalling outpouring OF blood an,
treasure unless he is sure beyond
peradventure that the objects OF thu
vital sacrifice are part and parcel o.
the very life of society and that tn,
people for whom he speaks think then
right and imperative as he does.
There Is, moreover, voice calling
for these definitions OF principle anC
purpose which is. It seems to me, more
thrilling and more compelling than any
Of the many moving voices with whlcl
the troubled air of the world is filled
IL is the voice Of the Russian people
They are PROSTATE and all but helpless
It would seem, before the grim power
of Germany which has hitherto known
no relentlng and no pity.
Russ Power Shattered.
"Their power apparently is shat
tered, and yet their soul is not sub
servlent They will not yield either IN
principle or In action. The conception
of what is right, of what 1t is humane
and honorable for them to accept, has
been stated with n frankness a large
ness of view, a generosity of spirit and
a universal human sympathy which
must challenge the admiration OF
every friend of mankind; and they
refused to compound their ideals or de-
sert others that they themselves may
be safe.
''They call to us to say what 1t is
that we desire, In what, II In anything,
our purpose and our spirit differ from
theirs; and l believe that the people
of the United States would wish me to
respond with utter simplicity and
| frankness.
whether their present leaders be-
lieve 1t or not, it is our heartfelt de-
sire and hope that some way may be
opened whereby we may be privileged
to assist the people of Russia to at
tain their utmost hope of liberty and
ordered peace.
No Secret Understandings.
at will be our wish and purpose that
the processes of peace, when they are
begun, shall be absolutely open and
that they shall involve and permit
henceforth no secret understandings of
any kind. The day of conquest and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT is gone by; so is also
the day of secret covenants entered in
to in the interest of particular govern
ments and likely at some unloOked-for
moment to upset the peace of the
world.
1--WE entered this war because vlo-
lations of right had occurred which
touched us TO the quick and made the
life of our own people impossible I'M
less they were corrected and the world
secured once for all against their re-
currence.
"What we demand in this war, there
fore is nothing peculiar to ourselves.
at is that the world be made fit and
safe to live in; and particularly that
it be made safe for every peace-lov-
ing nation which, like our own, wish
to live its own life, determine its own
institutions, be assured of justice and
fair dealing by the other peoples of the
world as against force and selfish ag-
gressiOn. All the peoples of the world
are in effect partners in this interest,
and for our own part we see very clear
~ that unless justice be done 10 9TH
ers 1t will not be done to us.
'The program of the worlds peace,
therefore, is our program, and that
program, the only possible program, as
we see it, is this:
Wants Open Covenants.
1. Open covenants of peace, openly
arrived at, after which there shall be |
no private international understand
ings of any kind, but diplomacy shall
proceed always frankly and in the pub
lie view.
2. Absolute freedom of navigation
upon the seas, outside territorial wa
ters, alike in peace and in war; except
as the seas may be closed in whole or
in part by International action for the
of international cove
nants.
3. The removal, so far as possible, of
Ill economic barriers and the estab-
ishment of an equality of trade con-
1itlons among all the nations consent
ng to the peace and associating them
selves for its maintenance.
4. Adequate guarantees given and ta-
Ken that national ornaments will be
'educed to the lowest point consistent
With domestic safety.
5. A free, open-minded and absolute
Y impartial adjustment of all colonial
laims, based upon strict observance
# the principle that in determining all
uch questions of sovereignty the in I
erests of the populations concerned
aust have equal weight with the equit-
BILE claims Of the government whose .
tile is TO be determined.
Must Evacuate Russia. !
6. The evacuation of all Russian ter I
itory and such settlement of all 9
uestiOns affecting Russia as will Sc (
ure the best and freest cooperation T
( the other nations of the world in 7
btaining for her an unhampered and i
nembarrassed opportunity for the in I
ependent determination of her own r
Olitical development and national pol +
y. V
Z. Belgium, the whole world will II
gree, must be evacuated and restored,
ithout any attempt TO limit the SOW n
eighty which she enjoys in common e
ith all other free nations. No other D
ngle act will serve as this will serve D
restore confidence among the ma ii
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1gland. We have odd names and odd