Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-02-15
President Lays Down Basis
for Peace Negotiations in
Remarkable Address.
WORLD PEACE AT STAKE
Final Settlement Must be Based Upon
Justice, and Peoples and Provinces
are Not to be BATTERED About
as Pawns IN Game.


. Washington. 1Aiistria has been, In
yited to further discussion Of peac,
with the United States ~
In n remarkable address to- congress.
In Joint session on February IL, Pfesf
dent Wilson laid down the basis fol
such negotiations Austria he said
seeing and cpnceding the essential
principles involved and the necessity
OF candidly applying them, can respond
10 the purpose OF peace as expressed
by the United States with less embar.
rassment than could Germany"
The presidents speech follows:
"Gentlemen OF the Congress-:
"On the eighth OF January I had
the honor OF addressing you on the OBJ
| Jects Of the war MS our people con
celve them. The prime minister OF
Great Britain had spoken In similar
terms on the nth OF january. 10 these
addresses the German chancellor re-
piled on the 2lth and Count Czernin for
Austria on the same day.
1T ~ gratifying 10 have our desire
so promptly realized that all exchanges
of Views on this great matter should
be made In the hearing Of all the
world.
czernin's Reply Friendly in Tone.
Count Czernin's reply, which Is
directed chiefly 20 my own address on
the eighth Of January, Is uttered In
very friendly tone. He finds in my
statement sufficiently encouraging
approach 90 the views OF his own gov
eminent TO Justify him In believing that
It furnishes a basis for more detailed
discussion Of purposes by the two gov
ernments. He Is represented to have
minated that the views he was ex-
pressing had been communicated TO
me beforehand, and that | was aware
OF them at the time he was uttering
them; but In this | am sure he was
misunderstood. had received no init |
nation OF what he intended 90 say. |
There was, Of course, no reason why |
he should communicate privately with
me. | am quite content to be one of
his public audience.
Count Won iiertllng's reply Is, l must
say very vague and very confusing.
II Is fun of equivocal phrases and
leads, Il Is not clear where. But Il Is
certainly Ia very different tone from
that OF Count Czernin and apparently
OF an opposite purpose. II confirms,
am sorry TO say. rather than removes.
the unfortunate impression made by
what he had learned of the conferences
ut Brest-Litovsk. His discussion and
acceptance of our general principles
lead him to no practical conclusions.
He refuses 10 apply them 70 the sub
stantive items which must constitute
he body OF any final settlement. He
S Jealous of International action and
" international counsel. He accepts.
ne says, the principle of public diplo-
macy. but he appears 10 insist that u
,e confined, at any rate In this case.
q generallties and that the several
particular questions OF territory and
sovereignty. the several questions upon
whose settlement must depend the ac-
eptancc of peace by the twenty-thres /,
tates now engaged In the war. must
70 discussed and settled, not In gen. !
raj council. but severaily by the ma +,
ions most Immediately concerned by
interest or neighborhood.
Peace Of World at Stake.
Gle agrees that the seas should be 4
rec. but looks asSance at any limita /
lon 20 that freedom by international \
elton IN the interest Of the common \
rider. lie would without reserve he 4
Had 20 see economic barriers removed n
etwcen nation aud nation for that n
0uld In no way impede the ambitions d
( the military party with whom he N
GEMS constrained TO keep ON terms. \
iclther does he raise objection 10 a IA
intuition OF ornaments. That mat s
ar will he settled OF itself, he thinks. Nj
y the economic conditions which must n
blow the war. b
"Rut the German colonies, he de-
lands. must be returned without de- r.
ate He viii discuss with no one bat n
be- representatives OF Russia what II
ispOsitinn shall be made OF the PEG d
les and the lands OF the Baltic pro- "a
Inccs with no one bur the govern n
lent of France the conditions under II
hich French territory shall be eyacu- u
ted and only with Austria what shall q,
p done with Poland a
"In the determination OF al Ques- I,
ons affecting the Balkan states he Il
sfers. as | understand him. 20 Aus
ga and Turkey. and with regard to ID
~ agreement 20 be entered into con ~
.rninu the non-Turkish people OF the r,
resent Ottoman empire, TO the Tur e,
sh authorities themselves. After rs
,tiiemeut nll around, effected In this /,
lShlon hy Individual barter and con- ~
.ssion. he would have no objection Il
I correctly interpret his statement M
q league of nations which would OF
adertake 10 held the new balance OF y,
Dwer steady against external disturb N
nee r,
IT must be evident 20 everyone who III
Understands what This war has v
M..inan General Slain