The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1918-01-11

begun, shall be absolutely open and that
they shall involve and permit henceforth
no secret understandings of any kind.
The day Of conquest and aggrandizement
is gone by so is also the day OF secret
covenants entered into in the inNrest
OF particular governments and likely at
some unlooked-for moment to upset the
peace of the world. II is this happy fact
now clear to the view Of every public
man whose thoughts doNnot still hnger in
an age that is dead and gone, which
makes 1t possible for every nation whose
purposes are consistent with justice ami
the peace Of the world to avow or at
any other time the objects 1t has in
view.
We entered this war because viola
lions of right had occurred which
of our own people impossible unless they
were corrected and the world secured
once for all against their recurrence.
What we demand In this war, therefore,
Is nothing peculiar to ourselves. A. II
that the world be made fit and safe 10
live In; and particularly that 1t be made
safe for every peace loving nation, which
like our own, wishes to live its own life,
determine its own institutions, be as
sured OF justice and fair dealing by tine
other peoples Of the world as against
force and selfish aggression. All the
peoples of the world are in effect part
ners In this interest and for our own
part we see very clearly that unless JUS
tice be done to others 1t will not De uone
TO us. The program OF the worlds
peace, therefore Is our program; and
that program, the only possible program,
as We see IT, is:
Americas Terms.
/. Open covenants OF peace, openly
arrived at. after which there shall be no
private international understandings OF
any kind but diplomacy shall proceed
always frankly and in the public view.
2. Absolute freedom OF navigation upon
the seas. outside territorial waters,
alike in peace and in war, except as the
seas may be closed in whole. or in part
by international action for the enforce
ment OF international covenants.
3, The removal so far as possible, OF
all economic barriers and the establish
ment of an equality of trade conditions
among all the nations consenting to the
peace and associatiAg themselves for its
maintenance.
I. Adequate guarantees given and
taken that national ornaments will be
reduced to the lowest points consistent
with domestic safety.
5.~A free, open minded and absolutely
impartial adjustment OF all colonial
claims, based upon a strict observance
of the principle that in determining all
such questions of sovereignty the inter-
ests Of the populations concerned must
have equal weight with the equitable
claims of the government whose title Is
to be determined.
Evacuation Of Russia.
s. The evacuation OF all Russian ter
ritory and such settlement of all ques-
tons affecting Russia as will secure the
best and freest cooperation Of abe other
nations Of the world in obtaining for her
an unhampered and unembarrassed op-
portunity for the independent determine
tion of her own political development
ana national policy, and assure her OF
a sincere welcome into the society OF
free nations under institutions OF her
own choosing; and more than a welcome,
assistance also Of every kind that she
may need and herself desire.
The treatment accorded Russia by her
sister nations In the months to come
will be the acid test OF their good will.
OF their comprehension OF her needs as
distinguished from their own interests
and Of their intelligent and unselfish
sympathy
Z. Belgium, the whole world win
agree must be evacuated and restored.
without any tattempt to limit the SOW
ereignty which she enjoys In common
with all other free nations No other
single act will serve, as this will serve.
to restore confidence among the nations
In the laws which they have themselves
set and determined for the government
OF their relations with one another.
Without this healing act the whole
structure and validity OF international
law Is forever impaired.
s: All French territory should be freed
and the invaded portions restored and
the wrong done to France by Prussia In
1871, In the matter Of Alsace-L Lorraine,
which has unsettled the peace OF the
world for nearly SO years, should be
arighted in order that peace may once
more be made secure in the interest Of
all.
.. A readjustment OF the frontiers of
Italy should be effected along clearly
recognizable lines OF nationality.
10. The peoples of Austria Hungary,
whose place among the nations we wish
to see safeguarded and assured, should
be accorded the freest opportunity Of
autonomous development
IL. Rumania, Serbia and Montenegro
should be evacuated; occupied territories
restored; Serbia, accorded free and se-
cure access to the sea; and the relations
of the several Balkan states to one an
other determined by friendly counsel
along Historically established lines OF al
legiance and nationality; and interna-
tional guarantees OF the people and eco
nomic Independence and territorial integ-
rity OF the several Balkan states should
be entered into.
~. The Turkish portions OF the pres
emit Ottoman empire should be assured
secure sovereignty, but the other ma
ttonalities which are now under Turkish
rule should be assured and undoubted
security of life and an absolutely unmo-
itSteu opportunity Ol dutoHOhOuS uo-
velopment, and the Dardanelles should
be permanently opened as free pass
age TO the ships and commerce OF all
nations. under International guarantees.
Is. An independent Polish state should
be erected. which should include the ter
ritories inhabited by indisputably Polish
,opulations, which should be assured q
free and secure access to the sea, ana
whose political and economic independ-
ence and territorial integrity should be
guaranteed by international covenant.
H. A general association OF nations
must be termed. under specific coven-
guarantees OF political Independence and
territorial integrity to great and small
states alike.
In regard to these essential ratifica-
lions Of wrong and assertions OF right,
we feel ourselves to be intimate part
ners Of all the governments and peoples
associated together against the imper-
'alists. We cannot be separated In In
terest OF divided in purpose. We stand
together until the end.
FIaht 70 the Finish.
For such arrangements and covenants
we are willing to fight and continue to
light until thew are achieved, but only
BECAUSE we wish the right to prevail and
desire a Just and stable peace. such as
can be secured only by removing the
chief provocations to war, which this
program does remove We Aave no jeal-
ousy Of German greatness, and there IL
nothing In this program that impairs u.
We grudge her no acrieyement or dis
tinction Of learning or OF pacific enter
prise such as have made her record very
wish to iniure her OF. to block In any
rav her leaifiynate Influence or power.