The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-28

Itical life.
Count Won Hertling wants the es-
sential bases Of commercial and in
dustrial life to be safeguarded by COM
mon agreement and guaranty, but he
cannot expect that to be conceded him
if the other matters to be determined
by the articles of peace are not han
died in the same way as items in the
final accounting.
"No Foundation for Peace"
"He cannot ask the benefit of COM
mon agreement in the one field with
out according it in the other. I take
it for granted that he sees that separ-
ate and selfish compacts with regard
to trade and the essential materials OF
manufacture would afford no founda-
ton for peace. Neither, he may rest
assured, will separate and selfish COM
pacts with regard to provinces and
peoples.
Count Czernin seems to see the
fundamental elements of peace with
clear eyes and does not seek to OBJ
scure them. He sees that an independ-
ent Poland, made up of all the indis-
putably Polish peoples who lie con-
tiguOus to one another, is a matter OF
European concern, and must, Of
course, be conceded; that Belgium
must be evacuated and restored, no
matter what sacrifices and concessions
that may involve, and that national as
pirations must be satisfied even within
his own empire in the common interest
of Europe and mankind.
Seeing and conceding as he does
the essential principles involved and
the necessity of candidly applying
them, he naturally feels that Austria
can respond to the purpose Of peace
as expressed by the United States with
less embarrassment than could Ger
many. He would probably have gone
must further had it not been for the
embarrassments Of Austria's alliances
and of her dependence upon Germany.
after all, the test of whether it
is possible for either government to
go any further in this comparison Of
views is simple and obvious.
Principles to Be Applied.
The principles to be applied are
these:
81. That each part of the final set
Element must be based upon the essen
tial justice of that particular cause
and upon such adjustments as are
most likely to bring a peace that will
be permanent.
so. That peoples and provinces are
not to be bartered about from sover-
eighty to sovereignty as If they were
mere chattels and pawns in a game,
even the great game, now forever dis
credited, of the balance of power /;
but that,
SO. Every territorial settlement in
voIved in this war must be made in the
interest and for the benefit of the
populations concerned and not as a
part of any adjustment or compromise
OF claims among rival states; and,
81. That all well-defned national
aspirations shall be accorded the ut
most satisfaction that can be accorded
them without Introducing new or per
petuatfng old elements of discord and
antagonism that would be likely in
time to break the peace of Europe
and consequently of the world.
"a general peace erected on such
til such a peace can be secured we
have no choice but to go on. So far
as we can judge these principles that
we regard as fundamental are already
everywhere accepted among the
spokesman of the military and annex
ationist party in Germany. The trag-
ical circumstance is that this one party
in Germany is apparently willing and
able to send millions OF men to their
death to prevent what all the world
now sees to be just.
ST would not be a true spokesman
of the people of the United States if
I did not say once more that we en-
tered this war upon no small occasion
and that we never can turn back from
| a course chosen upon principle. Our
resources are in part modified now,
and we shall not pause until they are
modified in their entirety. Our arm
les are rapidly going to the fighting
front and will go more and more rap
idly.
"Our whole strength will be put into
| this war of emancipatIon-eman
| ton from the threat and attempted
mastery Of selfish groups Of autocratiC
rulers-whatever the difficulties and
present partial delays.
1--WE Shall Not Turn Back"
eve are indOmitable in our power
Of independent action and can in M
circumstance consent to live in 6
world governed by intrigue and force
We believe that our own desire for {
new international order under which
reason and justice and the common in
terests of mankind shall prevail is TIT
desire OF enlightened men everywhere
Without that new order the world vii
be without peace and human life vii
lack tolerable conditions Of existenc,
and development. Having set on
hand to the task of achieving it VI,
shall not turn back.
1.-THE power Of the United States 1
a menace to no nation or people. I
will never be used in aggression or 70
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of any selfish in
terest of our own. 1t springs out o
freedom and is for the service Of free
| DOM"