Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-02-11

private or separate interest iron
which the opinion of the world NAV b
shut out. Whatever affects the peac
affects mankind, and nothing settle,
by military force, if settled wrong, i
settled at all. 1t will presently have t,
be re-opened.
Court of Mankind.
Is Count Won Hertling not aware tha
he Is speaking in the court of mankind
that all the awakened nations of tn,
world now sit in judgment on wha
every public man, of whatever nation
may say on the issues of a conflict
which has spread to every region OF
the world? The reichstag resolutions Of
July themselves frankly accepted the
decisions of that court. There shall be
no annexations, no contributions, no pu
nitive damages. Peoples are not to be
handed about from one sovereignty to
another by an international conference
or any understanding between rivals
and antagonists. National aspirations
must be respected; peoples may now be
dominated and be governed only by
their own consent. "Self determin-
alton" is not mere phrase. 1t is an
Imperative principle of action, which
statesmen will henceforth ignore at
their peril. We cannot have general
peace for the asking, or by the mere
arrangements of a peace conference. 1t
cannot be pieced together out of indi-
Ividual understandings between powerful
states. All the parties to this war must
join in the settlement of every issue
anywhere involved in it; because what
we are seeking is a peace that we can
all unite to guarantee and maintain, and
every item of it must be submitted to
the common judgment whether it be
right and fair, an act of justice, rather
/ than bargain between sovereigns.
The United States has no desire to in
terfere in European affairs or to act
as arbiter in European territorial dis
putes. She would disGaln to take advan-
tage of any internal weakness or disor-
der to impose her own will upon an
other people. She is quite ready to be
shown that the settlements she has sug-
gested are not the best or the most en-
during. They are only her own provis-
ional sketch of principles and of the
way in which they should be applied.
was made partner, whether she would
or not, in the sufferings and indignities
inflicted by the military masters of
Germany against the peace and SECURITY
of mankind; and the conditions of peace
will touch her as nearly as they will
touch any other nation to which is en-
trusted leading part in the mainten-
ance of civilization. She cannot see her
way to peace until the causes OF this
war are removed, its renewal rendered
as nearly as may be impossible.
Cause of Word War.
This war had its roots in the disregard
of the rights of small nations ana of
which lacked the union and
the force to make good their claim to
determine their own alleglances and
their own form of political life. Cove /
nants must now be entered into which
will render such things impossible for
the future; and those covenants must
be backed by the united force OF all
the nations that love justice and are
willing to maintain it at any cost. If |
territorial settlements and the political
relations of great populations which
have not the organized power to resist,
are to be determined by the contracts
Of the powerful governments which con-
slider themselves most directly affected,
as Count Won Hertling proposes, why
may not economic questions alsoT 1t mas
.ome about in the altered world in
which we now find ourselves that JUS
ice and the rights of peoples affect
he whole field of international dealing
Is much as access to raw materials ana
air and equal conditions of trade.
Jount Won Hertling wants the essential
,ases of commercial and industrial life
O be safeguarded by common agree I
nent and guarantee, but he cannot ex-
,ect that to be conceded hlm II the {
ther matters to be determined by the
rticles of peace are not handled IN the j
anne way as items in the final account :
NO. He cannot ask the benefit OF COM ,
non agreement in the one field without
ccordIng it in the other. take 1T tor
ranted that he sees that separate and I
elfish eompacts with regard to trade a
nd the essential materials of manufac- {
ure would afford no foundations for
eace. Neither, he may rest assured, will :
eparate and selfish compacts with re- :
ard to provinces and peoples. q
What Czern1n Sees.
Count Czernin seems to see the fun !;
amental elements of peace with clear =
yes and does not seek to obscure them. =
lie sees that an Independent Poland, y
lade up of all the indisputable Polish =
copies who lie contiguous to one an =
mother, is matter of general concern +
nd, of course, must be conceded; that i
elgium must be evacuated and restor- :
/ no matter what sacrifices and con- =
essions that may involve; and that ma
onal aspirations must be satisfied,
ven within his own empire, in the com +,
.on, interest of Europe and mankind. =
/ he is silent about questions whleh n
,uck the interest and purpose ot his :,
ines more nearly than they touch those =
{ Austria only it must of course be be- n
suse he feels constrained l suppose, to n
efer to Germany and Turkey IN the .,
Seeing and conceding, as Il
: does, the essential principles involved m
i'd the necessity q candIdly applying n
lem, he naturally feels that Austria n,
IN respond to tno purpose of peace as a,
cpressed by the united States with ii
IS embarrassment than could Germany. sT
g would probably have gone much q
.rther had it not been for the embar-
ssments Of Austria g alliances and Of :