The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-01-18
CONGRESS HEARS.
PRESIDENT WILSON
UNEXPECTED ADDRESS is AN
sWER TO RUssIA's REQUEST
FOR ALLIED WAR AIMS.
BASIS FOR PEACE Is GIVEN
World Must Be Secured Against Vio-
ietions of Right and Made Safe to
Live in.-League of Nations
Is Advocated.
BASIS FOR PEACE is GIVEN

Washington, JAM 9.-President viii
son appeared before congress yester
day with new statement of war aims
He spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the congress:
Once more, as repeatedly before
the spokesman of the central empires
have indicated their desire to discuss
tn objects of the war and the pos
sible basis of general peace. Parleys
have been in progress at BreSt-LitovSk
between the Russian representatives
and representatives of the central
powers to which the attention of all
the belligerents has been invited for
the purpose of aScertaining whether
it may be possible to extend these
parleys into a general conference with
regard to terms of peace and settle
ment. The Russian representatives
presented not only a perfectly def
mite statement of the principles upon
which they would be willing to con-
clude peace, but also an equally defi-
mite program of the concrete applica-
ton of those principles. The repre-
sentatives of the central powers, on
their part, presented an outline of set
Element, which, if much less definite.
seemed susceptible to liberal inter-
probation until their specific program
of practical terms was added.
That program proposed no conces-
sions at all either to sovereignty of
Russia or to the preferences of the
population with whose fortunes it
dealt, but meant, in a word, that the
central empires were to keep every
foot of territory their armed forces
had occupied-every province, every
city, every point of vantage as a per-
manent addition to their territories
and their power 1t is a reasonable
conjecture that the general principles
of statement which they at first sug-
gested, originated with the more lib
eral statesmen of Germany and Aus
tria, the men who have begun to feel
the force of their own peoples thought
and purpose while the concrete terms
of actual settlement came from the
military leaders who have no thought
but to keep what they have got. The
negotiations have been broken off. The
Russian representatives were sincere
and in earnest. They cannot enter |
tain such proposals of conquest and |
domination.
PerpIexing Situation.
The whole incident is full of signifi- |
canoe. 1t is also full of perplexity. I
With whom are the Russian repre-
sentatives dealing? For whom are the
representatives of the central empires
speaking? Are they speaking for the
ma jorities of their respective parlia
ments or for the minority parties,
that military and imperfaiistic minor
ity which has so far dominated their
whole policy and controlled the af
fairs of Turkey and the Balkan states
which have felt obliged to become
their associates nj this war? The
Russian representatives have insisted,
very justly, very wisely and in the
true spirit of democracy that the con-
ferences they have been holding with
the Teutonic and Turkish statesmen ,
doors, and all the world has been audi
ence as was desired. To whom have ,
we been listening then? To those who {
speak the spirit and intention of the
resolutions of the German reichstag
of the ninth of July last, the spirit
and intention of the liberal leaders and {
parties of Germany, or to those who re-
sist and defy that spirit and intention |
md insist upon conquest and subjuga-
lion? Or are we listening in fact to $
both unreconciled and in open and
hopeless contradiction? These are
yery serious and pregnant questions. +
Upon the answer to them depends the /
peace of the world. S
Germany's Challenge.
But whatever the results Of the par
eys at Brest-Litovsk, whatever the 1
onfusions of counsel and of purpose 2
n the utterances of the spokesman OF n
he central empires, they have again 4
tempted to acquaint the world with s
heir objects in the war and have |,
gain challenged their adversaries to v
ay what their objects are and what t
ort of settlement they would deem d
ust and satisfactory. There is no
God reason why the challenge should
OF be responded to, and responded
) with the utmost candor. We did y
OF wait for it. Not once, but again Y
nd again we have laid our whole 9
lought and purpose before the world, y,
OF in general terms only but each y
me with sufficient definition to make "
clear what sort of definite terms IL
{ settlement must necessarily spring p'
ut of them. Within the last week p'
If. Lloyd George has spoken with VI
lmirable candor and in admirable VI
brit for the people and government ID
/ Great Britain. There is no confu- ia
on of counsel among the adyersaries nt
the central powers. no uncertainty ID
; principle, no vagueness of detail. "a
he only secrecy of counsel, the only %
ok Of fearless frankness, the only u
lure TO make a definite statement III
the objects Of the war lies with Ger es
any and her allies. 80
The issues Of life and death hang
,on these definitions. No statesman
10 has the least conception Of this a