The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-02-15
PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE
ALONE WILL DECIDE WAR
PRESIDENT WILSON DELIVERS ADDRESS
ON SHORT NOTICE TO CONGRESS
CLEARS ATMOSPHERE IN
TALK OF. PEACE

| point out that peace negotiations on
a great scale actually are going on
{ only instead Of being conducted in the
secrecy Of the round table conference
which was the aim of the centra!
powers in the early stages OF the war,
the great war issues now are being
expounded and critically analyzed in
! the light Of publicity and the worlds
forum
President Wilson himself today
seemed to recognize and call atten-
ton to the fact when he inquired "is
count Won Hertling not aware that he
is speaking in the court Of mankind,
that all the awakened nations of the
world now sit in judgment on what
every human of whatever nation maJ
say on the isue of the subject which
has spread to every region Of the
world
AS has been done in the past the
presidents speech today was prompt
ly cabled to all the principal capitals
of the world for telegraphic distribu-
ton.
Text of Address.
President Wilson spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
sOn the eighth of January l had the
honor of addressing you on the OBJ
iects of the war as our people con-
ceive them. The prime minister of
Great Britain had spoken in similar
terms on the fifth of January. 10
these addresses the German cnancel-
lor replied on the twenty-fo fourth and
Count Czernin for Austria on the
same day.
at is gratifying to have our desire
so promptly realized that all ex-
changes of view On this great matter
should be made in the hearing OF all
the world.
Count 'Czernin's reply, which is di
rected chiefly to my own address o.
the eighth Of January is uttered in
very friendly tone. He finds in my
statement a sufficiently encouraging
approach to the views of his cwn so:.-
ernment to justify him in believing
that it furnishes a basis for more
detailed discussion of purposes by the
two governments. He is represented
to have intimated that the views he
was expressing had communicated to
ne beforehand and that I was aware
of them at the time he was utterlng
them; but in this am sure he mis-
understood. I had received no intima-
ton of what he intended to say
There was, of course, no reason why
he should communicate privately with
me. l am quite content to be one Of
his public audience.
Count Won Hertlihg's reply is, 7
must say, very vague and very con-
fusing. 1t is full of equivocal phrases
1t is not clear. But it is certainly IN
very different tone from that OF
Count Czernin. and apparently OF an
opposite purpose. 1t confirms. il
sorry to say, rather removes, the un-
fortunate incression made by what
we had learned of the conference ar
Brest-Litovsk. His discussion and
acceptance of our general principles
lead him to no practical conclusion.
He refuses to apply them to the sub
stantive items which must constitute
the body of any final settlement. He
is Jealous of international action and
of international counsel. He accepts,
he says, the principle Of public dl,
plomacy, but he appears to insist that
it be confined, at any rate in this case
to generalities and that the several
particular questions of territory and
sovereignty, the several questions up
on whose settlement must depend the
acceptance of peace by the % states
now engaged in the war, must De dis
cussed and settled, not in general
council, but severally by the nations
most Immediately concerned by in
terests or neighborhood. He agrees
that the seas should be free, but looks
askance at any limitation to that
freedom by international action in
the interest of the common order.
He would without reserve be glad to
see economic barriers removed be
tween nation and nation. for that
could in no way impede the ambitions
Of the military party with whom he
seems constrained to keep on terms
Neither does he rails OBJECTION to
limitation Of armaments. That matter
will be settled of itself. he thinks, by