The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-12

M L
1T suiy Otuvr lrmc lmr vuJvc1s IL IIus
in view
"We entered this war because vio-
lations Of right had occurred which
touched us to the quick and made the
life of our own people impossible un-
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.
"It is that the world be made fit and
safe to live in; and particularly that
1t be made safe for every peace-loving
nation which, like our own, wishes to
live Its own life, determine it's own in
stitutions, 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
clearly that unless justice be done to
otherssit 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 1t, Is this:
Wants Open Covenants.
Open covenants of peace, openly
air Ae aftsr which there shall be
- sSs gational understand
MI III q COZ diplomacy shall
| proc9 always fIankly and In the pub,
! lie view.
II. 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 OIL
In part by international action for the
enforcement Of international cove
nants.
III. The removal, as far as possible
of all economic barriers and the estab
lishment of an equality of trade condi
tions among all the nations consentlns
to the peace and associating them
selves for its maintenance.
~. Adequate guarantees given ant
taken that national armaments will b,
reduced to the lowest point consisten
with domestic safety.
V. A free, open-minded and absolute
ly impartial readjustment of all colo
Nial claims, based upon strict obsery
ince Of the principle that In determn
ing all such questions of sovereignt,
the interests of the populations con
cerned must have equal weight Will
the equitable claims Of the governmen
whose title is to be determined.
Must Evacuate Russia.
vi. The evacuation of all Russian
territory and such a settlement of al
questions affecting Russia as will sc
cure the best and freest cooperation O
the other nations of the world in OF
tanning for her an unhampered and ur
embarrassed opportunity for the II
dependent determination of her ow
political development and national po
icy and assure her of sincere we
come into the society of free nation
under institutions of her own choo
: ing; and, more than welcome, assis
ance also of every kind that she ma
need and may herself desire I'll
treatment accorded Russia by her 81
; ter nations in the months to come vii
be the acid test of their good vii
/ of their comprehension of her needs {
J distinguished from their own interest
} and of their intelligent and unselfiS
| sympathy.
VII. Belgium, the whole world wi
: agree, must be evacuated and restore
: without any attempt to limit the so
E ereignty which she enjoys in commc
| with all other free nations. No 9th
: single act will serve as this will SER
1 to restore confidence among the n
tions In the laws which they ha'
themselves set and determined for Il
@ government of their relations with ol
v another. Without this healing act Il
i whole structure and validity of int
national law is forever impaired.
f VIII. All French territory should
d freed and the invaded portions I
O stored and the wrong done to Fran
d by Prussia in 1871 in the matter
= Alsace-Lorraine, which has unsettl
l. the peace of the world for nearly fiji
e years, should be rlghted in order til
peace may once more be made secu
r. In the interest of all.
10 TX. A readjustment of the frontie
70 of Italy should be effected along cles
Il IL recognizable lines of nationality.
r x. The people of Austria-Hungal
a whose place among the nations
,r wish to see safeguarded and assure