Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-01-10
FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT
WILSON'S PEACE PROGRAM
AS RELATED TO CONGRESS

Washington. Jan. S.-President Wood
row Wilson's address to Congress to-day
defining tho peace terms Of the United
States is as follows, the full text being
given:
Gentlemen of the Congress;-Once more.
as repeatedly before the spokesman OF the
central empires have indicated their de-
sire to discuss the objects of the war ana
the possible basis Of general peace. Par
leys have been in progress at Brest-Lit-
ovsk between representatives OF the CEN
trail powers to which the attention OF all
the beligerents have been Invited Tor the
purpose of ascertaining where 1t may be
possible to extend these parleys into a
, general conference with regard to terms
of peace and settlement.
RUSSIAN STATEMENT DEFINITE.
| The Russian representatives presented
| not only a perfectly definite statement OF
the principles upon which they would be
willing to conclude peace, but also an
equally definite program Of the concrete
application Of those principles. The rep
resentatives Of the central powers on their
part presented an outline Of settlement
which. II much less definite, seemed sus-
ceptible to liberal Interpretation until
| their EpeClHC program VI pTdCtCdi
was added. That program proposed no
concessions at all either to the sover-
eighty Of Russia or to the preferences Of
the populations with whose fortunes 1t
dealt but meant, in a word, that the CEN
trail empires were to keep every foot OF
territory their armed forces had occupied
every province, every city, every point
| of vantage-as a permanent addition 10
their territories and their power.
1t Is a reasonable conjecture that the
general principles Of settlement which
they at first suggested originated with
the more liberal statesmen Of Germany
and Austria, the men who have begun
to feel the force of their own eoIle' s
thought and purpose while the con-
crete terms of actual settlement came
from the military leaders who have no
desire but to take what they have got.
The negotiations have been brokcn of.
The Russian representatives were sim
cere and in earnest. They cannot en-
terrain such proposals Of conquest and
domination.
WHICH PARTY IS SPEAKING?
The whole incident is full Of signiA-
cance 1t is also full Of preplexity.
With whom are the Russian representa-
tives dealing? For whom are the repre-
ing? Are they speaking for the majorities
of their respective parliaments. or for
the minority parties. that military and
imperiaistic minority which has so far
dominated their whole policy and con-
trolled the affairs Of Turkey and of the
Balkan states which have felt obliged
to become their associates in this war.
The Russian representatives have In.
sisted very Justly, very wisely and In the
true spirit of modern democracy tina,
the conferences they have been holding
with the Teutonic and Turkish states
men should be held within open. no.
closed. doors and all the world has beer
audience. as was desired. To whom hav,
we been listening, then? To those wht
speak the spirit and intention Of tn,
Russians and of the German Reichsta(
of the 9th Of July last the spirit and in
tention Of the liDeral leaders and parties
of Germany. or to those who resist ant
defy that spirit and intention and insis
upon conquest against subjugation? O
are we listening. in fact to both. unrecon
ciled and in open and hopeless con
tradiction? These are very serious an,
pregnant questions. Upon the answer t
them depends the peace Of the world.
ALLIES SHOULD REPLY.
|
leys at Brest-Litovsk. whatever tn,
, confusions of counsel and Of purpose IL
the utterances of the spokesman Of tn
. central empires, they have again at
, tempted to acquaint the world witt
their objects In the war and have agail
challenged their adversaries to sa,
, what their objects are and what sor
Of settlement they would deem just an,
, satisfactory. There is no good reason
why that challenge should not be re
sponded to and responded to with tn
utmost candor. We did not wait TO
, it. Not once. but again and again W
. have laid our whole thought and pur
pose before the world. not in genera
terms only. but each time with suffici
ent definition to make 1t clear wha
sort Of defnitive terms Of settlement
must necessarily spring out of them
Within the last week Mr.. Lloyd Georg
has spoken with admirable candor an
in admirable spirit for the people an
!. government Of Great Britain.
; TEUTONs NOT DEFINITE.
There is no confusion Of counsel anon
. the adversaries Of the central powers. n
! uncertainty Of principle. no vagueness o
detail. The only secrecy Of counsel. tn
only lack Of fearless frankness. the onl
failure to make definite statement OF tn
; objects Of the war. lies with German
and her allies. The issues Of life an
death hang upon these definitions. N
statesman who has the least conceptio
u his responsibility ought for q momen
to permit himself to continue thi
tragical and appalling outpouring of bloc
and treasure unless he Is sure beyond
peradventure. that objects Of the vita