Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-12
VIZ ASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-Presi-
wv dent Wilson spoke as fol-
w lows:

wv dent wilson spoke as lOl-
lows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
On the Sth of January L had the
honor of addressing you on the OBJ
jects of the war as our people con-
ceive them. The prime minister of
Great Britain had spoken in similar
terms on the 5th of January. To
these addresses the German chan
cellor replied on the oath and
Count Czernin for Austria on the
same day. 1t is gratifying to have
our desire so promptly realized that
all exchanges of views on this great
matter should be made in the hear
ing of all the world.
Count Czernins reply, which is
directed chiefly to my own address
on the Sth of January, is uttered
in a very friendly tone. He finds
in my statement sufficiently en-
couraging approach to the views of
his own government to Justify him
in believing that it furnishes basis
for a more detailed discussion of
purposes by the two governments.
He is represented to have init
mated that the views he was ex-
pressing had been communicated be-
forehand and that / am sure he was
misunderstood. / had received no
intimation of what he intended to
say. There was of course, no rea-
son why he should communicate
privately with me. l am content to
be one Of his public audiences.
confined To Generalities
Count Won Hertling's reply is, I
must say, very vague and very con-
&c FY.n Of
phrases and leads it is not clear
where. But it is certainly in very
different tone from that of Count
Czernin, and apparently of an OPP
posite purpose. 1t confirms, l am
sorry to say, rather than removes,
the unfortunate impression made by
what we had learned of the confer
ences at Brest-Litovsk. His dis
cussion and acceptance of our gen.
eral principles lead him to no prac-
teal conclusions. He refuses to ap-
ply them to substantive items which
must constitute the body of any
final settlement. He is jealous OF
international action and of interna-
tional counsel, He accepts, he says,
the principles of public diplomacy
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
upon whose settlement must depend
the acceptance Of peace by the
twenty-thfee states now engaged in
the war, must be discussed and set
tied, not in general counsel, but
severally by the nations most i'm
. mediately concerned by interest or
neighborhood.
Must Return Colonies
He agrees that the seas should be
free, but looks askance at any linn
itation to that freedom by interna-
tional action in the interest of com
mon order. He would without re-
serve be glad to see economic bar
riers removed between nation and
nation, for that could in no way i'm
pede the ambitions of the military
party with whom he seems con-
strained to keep on terms. Neither
does he raise objection to a limita-
ton of ornaments. That matter
will be settled of itself, he thinks.
by the economic conditions which
must follow the war. But the Ger
man colonies, he demands, must be
returned without debate. He will
discuss with no one but the repre-
sentatives of Russia what DISPOSE
ton shall be made of the peoples
and the lands of the Baltic prov
inces; with no one but the govern
ment of France the conditions" un-
der which French territory shall be
evacuated; and only with Austria
what shall be done with Poland. In
the determination of all questions
affecting the Balkan states he de-
fers as 1 understand him, to Aus
tria and Turkey; and with regard to
the agreement to be entered into
concerning the non-Turkish people
of the present Ottoman empire, to
the Turkish authorities themselves.