The Dermott news., 1918-01-17

| ly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international under standings of any kind, but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and for the public view.
 | 2 Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas, outside territorial wa ters, alike in peace and in war, ex- cept as the seas may be closed i'll whole or in part by international ac- ton for the enforcement of interna- tional covenants.
 g. The removal, so far as possible of all economic barriers and the es- tablishment of an equality of trade conditions among all the nations con senting to the peace and associating | themselves for its maintenance. 4 Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced to the lowest point consist ent with domestic safety.
 ,. A free, open-minded and abso- lutely impartial adjustment of all CO., ionial claims, based upon strict ob- servanee of the principle that in de- termining all such questions Of soV- areignty the interests of the popula- tions concerned must have weight with the equitable claims of the gov ernment whose title is to be deter mined.
 c The evacuation of all Russian territory and such settlement of all questions affecting Russia as will SC cure the best and freest cooperation If the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for inde- pendent determination of her own po- litical development and national pol icy and assure her of a sincere wei come into the society of free nations under institutions Of her own choos- ing, and. more than welcome, as sistance of every kind that she may need and may herself desire. The treatment accorded Russia by her sis ter nations in the months to come will be the acid test of their good will, of their comprehension of her needs as distinguished from their own inter ests and of their intelligent and un selfish sympathy,
 T. Belgium. the whole world will agree. must be evacuated and restor- ed. without any attempt 10 limit the sovere.ngtv which she enjoyed in com mon with all other free nations. No other single act will serve as this will serve to restore confidence among the nations in the laws which they have themselves set and determined for the government of their relations with one another Without this healing act tht whole structure and validity of international law is forever i'm. paired
 x All French territory should be freed and the invaded portions restor- cd and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in the matter of Al sace.Lorraine. which has unsettled the peace of the world for nearly 50 years. should be righted. in order that peace once more be made secure in the interest of all.
 9 \ rcadjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognized lines of nationality
 10 The peoples of Austria.Hun- gary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and as- sured. should be accorded the freest opportunity of autonomous develop ment
 II. Roumania, Serbia and Montene- gro should be evacuated occupied ter litories restored Serbia accorded free and secure access to the seas, and the relations of the several Bal kan states to one another determined by friendly counsel along historically established lines of allegiance and na- tonality: and international guaran- tees of the political and economic iu- dependence and territorial integrity of the several Balkan states should be entered into.
 l2 The Turkish portions of the present Ottoman empire should be as sured of secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now un. der Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of automonomous development and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as free passage 10 the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees.
 13. An independent Polish state should be erected which should in. clude the territories inhabited by in. disputably Polish populations which should be Nssured free and secure access to the sea and whose political and economic independence and terri torial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant.
 14. A general association Of ma
 tions must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affordng
 mutual guarantees of political inde
 pendence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike. In re
 gard to these essential rectitfcations of wropg and aSserfinpa nf riyht ws