The Tupelo journal., 1918-01-11
Terms Of World Peace as Stated BY President Wilson

Washington. Jan. Sin his re~statement of war
aims and basis for peace before Congress today the
president spoke as follows:
"Gentlemen of the Congress:
.once more, as repeatedly before, the spokesman
Of the central empires have indicated their desire to dis
cuss tn objects of the war and the possible basis Of a gem
eral peace. Parleys have been in progress at Berst-
Litovsk between Russian representatives and representa-
tives of the central powers to which the attention OF all
the beligerents has been invited for the purpose OF ascer-
tanning whether it may be possible to extend these par
leys into a general conference with regard to terms OF
peace and settlement. The Russian representatives pre-
snted not only a perfectly definite statement of the prin-
cipls upon which they would be willing to conclude peace,
but also an equally definite programme OF the concrete
application of those principles. The representatives of
the central powers, on their part, presented an outline
of settlement which, if much less definite, seemed susl
ceptible of liberal Interpretation until their specific pro-
gramme of practical terms was added.
"That programme proposed no concession at all,
either to sovereignty of Russia or to the preferences of
the population with those fortunes it dealt, but meant,
in a word, that the central empires were to keep every
foot of territory their armed forces had occupied
every province, every city, every point OF vantage-as
a permanent addition to their territoes and their power.
at is a reasonable conjecture that the general prin-
ciples of settlement which they at first suggested orIginat-
ed with the more liberal statesmen of Germany and Aus
stria, the men who have begun to feel the force OF their
own peoples thought and purpose, while the concrete
terms of actual settlement came from the military lead
ers who have no thought but to keep what they have got.
The negotiations have been broken off. The Russian rep
resentatives were sincere and in earnest. They cannot
entertain such proposals of conquest and domination.
WITH o. WE ARE DEALING
"The whole incident is full of significance. 1t is
also full of perplexity. With whom are the Russian
representatives dealing? For whom are the representa-
tives of the central empires speaking? Are they speak
ing for the majorities of their respective parllaments
or for the minority parties, that military and Imperial
istic minority which has so far dominated their Whole
policy and controlle dthe affairs of Turkey and of the
Balkan states which have felt obliged to become their
associates in this war? The Russian representatives
have insisted, very justly, very wisely, and in the true
spirit of modern democracy, that the conferences they
have been holding with the Teutonic and Turkish
statesmen should be held within open, not closed, doors,
and all the world has been audience, as was desired. To
whom have we been listening, then? To those who speak
the spirit and intention of the resolutions of the German
Reichstag of the ninth of July last, the spirit and inten-
ton of the liberal leaders and parties of Germany, or to
those who resist and defy that spirit and intention and
insist upon conquest and subjugation? Or are we listen
ing, in fact, to both, unreconciled and in open and hope
less contradiction? These are very serious and pregnant
Gaostions.- Upon the answer to them depends the peace
of the world.
"But, whatever the results of the parleys at Berst-
Litovsk, whatever the confusions of counsel and 81 pur-
pose in the utterances of the spokesman of the central
empires, they have again attempted to acquaint the world
with their objects in the war and have again challenged
their adversaries to say what their objects are and what
sort of settlement they would deem just and satisfactory.
lhere is no good reason why CnaC cnallenSe Snould HoI De
responded to, and responded to with the utmost candor.
We did not wait for it, Not once, but again and again,
we have laid our whole thought and purpose before the
world, not in general terms only, but each time with suf-
fcient definition to make it clear what sort of defnitive
terms of settlement must necessarily spring out of them.
Within the last week Mr.. Lloyd George has spoken with
admirable candor and in admirable spirit for the people
and government of Great Britain.
CENTRAL POWERS ECRETIVE M EVASIVE.
'"There is no confusion of counsel among the adver-
saries of the central powers, no uncertainty of principles,
no vagueness of detail. The only secrecy of counsel, the
only lack Of fearless f~rankness, the only failure to make
definite statement of the objects of the lies with Ger
many and her allies. The issues of life and death hang
upon these definitions. No statesman who has the least
conception of his responsibility ought for a moment to
permit himself to continue this tragical and appealing
outpouring of blood and treasure unless he is sure beyond
a peradventure that the objects of the vital sacrifice are
part and parcel of the very life of society and that the
people for whom he speaks think them right and imper-(
alive as he does.
j"There is, moreover, a voice calling for these defini-
lions of principle and Of purposes which is, it seems to
me, more thrilling and more compelling than any OF the
many moving voices with which the troubled air Of the
world is filed. It is the voice of the Russian people. They
are Frustrated and all but helpless, it would seem, before
the grim power of Germany, which has hitherto known no
relenting and no pity. Their power, apparently, is shat
tered. And yet their soul is not subservient. They will
not yield either in principle or in action. Their concep-
ton of what is right, of what is humane and honorable
for them to accept, has been stated with a frankness, a
largeness of view, a generosity of spirit, and a universal
human sympathy which must challanges the admiration of
every friend of mankind-and they have refused TO CONF