The Southern herald., 1918-01-18
president TELLS WORLD us. WAR AIMS

| ceptOn Of his responsibility Ou6hl iVI "a
moment to permit himself 70 contlhue
| this traglcal and appalling outpouring, Of
| blood and treasure, dnless he is sire De-
yond a peradventure that the objects OF
| The vital sacrifice are part and parcel OF
| the very life of society, and that the peo-
pie for wnom he speaks think them right
and imperative, as he does.
Call for Definitions.
There Is, moreover, a voice calling for
these definitions of principle and OF pur-
pose, which, 1t seems to me, are more
| thrilling and compelling than any Of the
many moving voices with which the
! troubled air Of the world Is filled 1t is
the voice Of the Russian people; They
are PROSTATE, and all but helpless, 1t
| would seem before the grim power Of
| Germany, which has hitherto known no
relenting and no pity. Their power, ap-
parently, is shattered And yet their
soul is not subseryient; They VIII not
Weld, either in principle or In action.
Won't Desert Ideals.
Their conception Of what is right, Of
what 1t is humane and honorable for
them to accept had been stated with a
frankness, a largeness OF view, gen
erosty Of spirit, and universal human
sympathy, which must challenge the ad;
miration Of every friend Of mankind; and
they have refused to compound their
ideals or desert others that they them
selves may be safe. They call to us to
say what II is that we desire, in what,
II anything, our purpose and our spirit
differ from theirs: and believe that
the people Of the United States would
wish me to respond, with utter simplic-
ity and frankness. Whether their pres
ent leaders believe it or not, 1t Is our
heartfelt desire and hope that some way
may be opened whereby we may be
privileged to assist the people Of Rus
sia to attain their utmost hope OF lib
erty and ordered peace.
No Secret Negotiations.
1t will be our wish and purpose that
the processes Of peace, when, they are
begun, shall be absolutely open and that
they shall involve and permit henceforth
no secret understandings of any kind.
The day of conquest and ACKNOWLEDGMENT
is gone by; so Is also the day Of secret
covenants entered into in the interest
of particular governments and likely at
some unlooked-for moment to upset the
peace Of the world. 1t is this happy fact
now clear to the view Of every public
man whose thoughts do not still linger in
an age that is dead and gone, which
makes 1t possible for every nation whose
purposes are consistent with justice and
the peace of the world to avow or at
any other time the objects it has In
view.
We entered this war because viola
tions Of right had occurred which
touched us to the quick and made the life
Of our own people impossible unless they
were corrected and the world secured
once for all against their recurrence.
What we demand in this war, therefore,
Is nothing peculiar 10 ourselves. II IL
that the world be made fit and safe 10
live in; and particularly that II be made
safe for every peace loving nation, which
like our own. wishes to live ies own life,
determine its own institutions, be as
sured OF justice and fair dealing by the
other peoples Of the world as against
force and selfish aggression. All the
peoples of the world are in effect part
ners in this interest and for our own
part we see very clearly that unless jus
tice be done to others 1t will not be uone
to u.s. The program Of the worlds
peace, therefore is our program; and
that program, the only possible program,
as we see 1t, is:
Americas Terms.
l. Open covenants of peace, openly
arrived at, after which there shall be no
private international understandings Of
any kind but diplomacy shall proceed
2. Absolute freedom Of navigation upon
the seas. outside territorial waters,
alike In peace and in war, except as the
seas may be closed in whole or in part
by international action for the enforce
ment Of international covenants.
all economic barriers and the establish
ment of an equality Of trade conditions
among all the nations consenting to the
peace and associating themselves for its
maintenance.
4. Adequate guarantees given and
taken that national armaments will be
reduced to the lowest points consistent
with domestic safety.
s. A free. open-minded and absolutely
impartial adjustment of all colonial
claims based upon strict observance
Of the principle that in determining all
such questions OF sovereignty the inter-
ests OF the populations concerned must
have equal weight with the equitable
claims OF the government whose title Is
to be determined
Evacuation Of Russia.
g. The evacuation of all Russian ter
ritory and such a settlement Of all ques-
lions affecting Russia as will secure the
best and freest cooperation of the other
nations OF the world in obtaining for her
an unhampered and unembarrassed, op-
portunlty for the independent determine
tion OF her own political development
ana national policy, and assure her oi
a sincere welcome into the society OF
Tree nations under institutions OF her
own choosing; and more than a welcome
assistance also Of every kind that she
may need and herself desire.
Ihe treatment accorded Russia BY her
Si9tSL HdtlolS III Ine months To come
VIII be the acid test of their good will
OF their comprehension OF her needs as
distinguished from their own intefests
and Of their intelligent and unselfsh
sympathy
T. Belgium, the whole world will
agree, must be evacuated and restored
without any attempt to limit the SOW.
ereignty which she enjoys in common
with all other free nations No Other
single act will serve, as this will serve
10 restore confidence among tine nations
IN the laws which they have theIns elves
set and determined for the government
Of their relations with one another
without this healing act the Who'll,
structure and validity OF internationa
law Is forever impaired
3; All French territory should be freed
ana the invaded portions restored anr
the wrong done to France by Prussia. il
lSti, In the matter Of Alsace- Lorraine
which has unsettled the peace Of thu
world for nearly 80 years, should b,
arighteed in order that peace may ono,
more be made secure In the interest O
Readlust Italy.
9: A readjustment Of the frontiers O
Italy should be effected along clearl,
recognizable lines Of nationality.
10. The peoples Of Austria Hungary
whose place among tho nations We wisl
/ TO see Safeg1Inrdnd and aauttraa .ka,.i,