New Britain herald., 1918-09-28
PRESIDENT WILSON

| PKEClDE
ment Of the principles we have
! avoWed as the principles for which
we are fighting. There should exist
no doubt about that. I am, there
| fore, going to take the liberty of
| speaking with the utmost frankness
| about the practical implications that
| are involved in it.
"If it be indeed and in truth the
common object of the governments
associated against Germany and of
| the nations whom they govern, as [
believe it to be, to achieve by the
coming settlements a secure and last
ing peace, it will be necessary that all
who sit down at the peace table shall
come ready and willing to pay the
price, the only price, that will pro-
cure it, and ready and willing also to
create in some virile fashion the only
nstrumentality by which it can be
made certain that the agreements of
the peace will be honored and full
filed.
THAT price is impartial justice in
er-ery item of the settlement, no mat
ter whose interest is crossed, and not
only impartial justice but also the
whose fortunes are dealt with. That
indispensable instrumenta1ity is a,
league of nations formed under COW
enants that will be efffcaciouS. With
out such an instrumentality. by which
the, peace of the world can be guar
anteed, peace will rest in part upon
the world of outlaws and only upon
that word. For Germany will have
to redeem her character, not by what
happens at the peace table but by
what follows
"And, as I see it, the constitution
of that league of nations and the
clear definition of it's objects must be
a part is in a sense the most essen
| tial part, of the peace settlement it
self. 1t cannot be formed now. If
formed now it would be merely
new alliance confined to the nations
| associated against a common enemy.
| It is not likely that it could be
formed after the settlement 1t is
I necessary to guarantee the peace, and
J the peace cannot be guaranteed as an
afterthought. The reason, to speak
| in plain terms again, why it must be
guaranteed is that there will be par
| ties to the peace whose promises
| have proved untrustworthy and
means must be found in connection
with the peace settlement itself to
remove that source of insecurity. 1t
| would be folly to leave the guaran-
| tee to the subsequent voluntary action
| of the governm ents we have seen de-
| stroy Russia and deceive Rumania.
',But these general terms do not dis
| close the whole matter. Some details
| are needed to make them sound less
| like a thesis and more like a practical
| programme These then are some of
| the particulars, and I state them with
| the greater confidence because [ can
| state them autho ritatively as repre-
| senting this Governments interpreted
| ton of it's own duty with regard to
| peace:
First, the impartial justice meted
| out must involve no discrimination be
| tween those to whom we wish to be
| just and those to whom we do not
wish to be just. 1t must be a Justice
that plays no favorites and knows no
standard but the equal rights of the
several peoples concerned;
| Second no special or separate in
terest of anu single nation or any
| group of nations can be made the
| basis of any part of the settlement
| which is not consistent with the com
| mon interest of all;
Third, there can be no leagues or al
! liances or special covenants and
| understanding within the general and
| common family of the league Of ma
tions;
Fourth, and more specifically, there
can be no special, selfish economic
| combinations within the league and
no employment of any form Of econ
omic combinations within the league
and no employment of any form Of
| economic boycott or exclusion except
| az the power of economic penalty by
| exclusion from the markets OF the
| world may be vested in the league Of
| nations itself as Il means Of discipline
! and control;
Fifth. all international agreemen
and treaties of every kind must be
made known in their entirety to the
rest of the world
Especial alliances and economic ri
| valries and hostilities have been the
| nrolifI- source in the modern world OF
the plans and passions that produce
war. It would be an insinoere as vel
Las an insecure peace that did not ex