Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-03-01

y IIl6 three countries.
'HThe world is longing for peace."
he said. F'but the governments. of tbs
enemy countries again are inflaming
the passion for war. There are, hove
ever, other voices to be heard in
England; it is to be hoped that these
voices will multiply.
THE world now stands before 4
final decision. Either our enemies
will decide to conclude peace-they
know on what conditions we are
ready to begin a discussion-or they
will continue the insanity by their
criminal war of conquest.
"Our people will hold out further,
but the blood of the fallen, the ago
MES of the muti1ated and the distress
and sufferings of peoples will fall on
the heads of those who insistently se-
fuse to listen to the voice of reason
and humanity.
'"The prospect of peace on the
whole eastern front is now within
practical reach. The world, especially
the neutral world, is asking whether
the gate is not open to general peace,
out France, England and Italy still
it seems, are unwilling to listen to the
voice of reason and humanity.
From the beginning Ne Entente
has pursued aims of conq~est. It is
fighting for the delivery OF Alsace-
Lorraine to France. can add moth
ing to what previously has been said
there is no Alsace-LOrraine question
in the international sense
The operations of the Central powers
in the east, the chancellor said, were
carried out VITA the sole aim of Sc
curing peace wah Ukraine. He 50 d.
"Our war aiE2s from the beginni ng
were defense of the fatherland, main
tenance of our territorial integrity
and freedom of our economic devel-
opment,'' said the chancellor Our
warfare, even where it must be ag-
gressive in action, is defensive in aim
I lay special stress on that just now
in order that no misunderstanding
may arise in regard to our operations
in the east. Their sole aim is to Sc
cure the fruits of our peace with the
| Ukraine
London dispatches say Chancellor
| Won Hertling's refe, ence to state
ment by Walter RInciman, former
president of the board of trade, con-
cerned remarks made by Mr.. Runcf-
man in a speech in the house of COM
mons on Feb. 10. Mr.. Runciman said
the greatest contribution that could
be made to the peace of the world
would be that the representatives Of
opinion in the be1ligerent countries
draw together and exchange views
Concerning Mr.. Runciman's state
ment, the chancellor said:
ST can only agree with Mr.. Runct-
man if he meant we should he much
nearer peace if proper responsible re-
representatives. of the belIigerent pow
er would meet in conclave for discus
sion. That would be a way to remove
all intentional and unintentiona1 mis-
understandings and bring about an
agreement on many individual Ques-
lions. I am thinking especially in
this connection of Belgium"
Signing of a Russo-German peace
will not be the final solution of the
German problems on her eastern from
tier and the final settlement will come
when the peoples of Courland, Es-
thonia, Livonia and Poland take mat
tiers into their own hands, according
to M. Kameneff, one of the Bolshevik
delegates to the Brest-Litovk nego-
tiations, in an interview in the LondoA
Daily News. NJ. Kamenef has arrived
in London after a three weeks journey
from Petrograd. He is on his way
to Paris as BolsheTik plenipotentiary
to France.
With the handing over of the lsnd
and factories to the peasants and
workers, NJ Kameneff said, they had
! begun to realize, as they could not I'M
der the old regime, that a German
invasion of Russia would injure their
vital interests. Consequently the con-
seriousness of the necessity of defend
ing the country was growing among
the Russians.
German occupation of Petrograd,M
Kamenef added, would not be enough
to restore the monarchy. Any attempt
at restoration would entail fighting in
every town and village for the peas
ants and workers were well aware
| that restoration would involve the loss
of their land and political rights.
The four bases of a Just peace, an
nounced by President Wilson recently,
and referred to by Hertling as his own
sentiments with qualification follow:
These are the four principles set
forth by President Wilson in his adj
dress to Congress on Feb. Il:
First, that each part of the final
settlement must be based upon the
essential justice of that particular
case and upon such adjustments as are
most likely to bring a peace that will
be permanent;
Second, that peoples and provinces
are not to be bartered about from
sovereignty to sovereignty as if they
were mere cnattels and pawns In a
game, even the great game, now for
ever discredited. of the balance Of
power; but that
Third, every territorial settlement
| involved in the war must be made in
| the interest and for the benefit of the
| populations concerned and not as
part Of any mere adjustment or COM
! promise OK e-e~=z5 zzss7z>-==sr rival Stdtes;
| and
Fourth, that all well defined ma
tionaI aspirations shall be accorded
the utmost satisfaction that can be
accorded them without Introducing
new or perpetuating old elements of
discord and antagonism that would
be likely in time to break the peace
of Europe and consequently the world.