The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-01-18
PREPARATION FOR FRANCE
Absolute Freedom of Seas In
Peace or War.
ALL TREATIES TO BE OPEN
Germany Must Right Wrong Of Taking
Alsace-Lorralne - Complete Evacua-
ticn of BeIgium--Removal of All Eco
nomic Enthusiastically in Trade.

ton of BeIgium-Removal of All Eco
nomic Enthusiastically in Trade.
Washington, Jan. s. - With a new
statement of war aims, approving the
recent declarations of the British Pre-
mier, Lloyd George, President Wilson
today presented to Congress and the
world a specific declaration Of theterms
on which it would be possible to make
peace with the German military au-
tocrocy.
The Presidents program is composed
Of IA separate articles and provides for
restoration and reparation, guarantees
for territory and national life, free
dom Of the seas and access to them,
reductions of ornaments and guaran-
tees. for the sanctity Of agreements be-
tween nations.
In word, the President said, the
program removes the chief provoca-
tions to war.
But in order that his pronouncement
should be definitely understood as one
Of war aims rather than peace aims.
the i resident declared:
For such arrangements and cove
nants we are willing to fight and to con-
tinue to fight until they are achieved"
Iris he followed with restatement
that the world wars only upon a Ger
many crazed by war, not upon Ger
many Of peaceful pursuits, no matter
however great they may be.
I'VE wish her only to accept place
OF equality among the peoples Of the
world" said the President, "the new
world in which we now live-instead
Of a place of mastery
These aims, the President declared,
shared by the co-belligerents, were the
aims and principles Of the people of
the United States for which they are
willing to sacrifice everything.
1.-THE moral climax Of this, the cul-
minating and final war for human lib
erty, has come" said the President in
conclusion, "and they (the people Of
the United States) are ready to put
their own strength, their own highest
purpose, their own integrity and deyo-
ton to the test"
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 discuss the
objects of the war and possible bases
Of a general peace.
Parleys have been in progress at
Brest-Litovsk between Russian repre-
which the attention of all the belliger-
ents has been invited for the purpose
of ascertaining whether it may be pos
sible to extend these parleys into a
general conference with regard to
terms Of peace and settlement
The Russian representatives present
ed not only a perfectly definite state
ment of the principles upon which they
would be willing to conclude peace but
also an equally definite program of the
concrete application of those principles.
The representatives of the Central
Powers, on their part, presented an, out
line Of settlement which, il much less
definite, seemed susceptible of liberal
Interpretation until their specific pro-
gram OF practical terms was added.
That program proposed no concessions
at all either to sovereignty of Russia
or to the preferences of the population
with whose 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 van
tage-as permanent addition to their
territories and their power.
1t is a reasonable conjecture that the
general principles of settlement which
they at first suggested originated with
the more liberal statesmen of Germany
and Austria, the men who have begun
to feel the force of their own peoples
thought and purpose, while the con-
crete terms of actual settlement came
from the military leaders who have no
thought but to keep what they have
got. The negotiations have been bro
ken OFF. The Russian representatives
were sincere and in earnest They
cannot entertain such proposals Of con-
quest and domination.
The whole incident is full Of signifi-
rance 1t is also full OF perplexity.
With whom are the Russian represen-
tatives dealing? For whom are the
representatives Of the Central Empires
speaking? Are they speaking for the
maiorities of their respective parlia-
ments or for the minority parties, that
military and imperalistic minority
which has so far dominated their whole
policy and controlled the affairs Of Tur'
nm