The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-02-11
WILSON
INVITES
AUSTRIA
CONTINUED From Page One)

rangements between state ana
state. The peace of the world de-
ponds upon the just settlement OF
each of the several problems to
which / adverted in my recent
address to the congress.
/, of course, do no mean that
the peace of the world depends
upon the acceptance of any par
ticular set of suggestions as TO
the way in which those problems
are to be dealt with.
l mean only that those prob
lens each and all affect the whole
world; that unless they are dealt
with in a spirit of unselfish and
unbiased justice, with view TO
the wishes, the natural cOnnec-
tions, the racial aspirations, the
security and the peace OF nina
of the peoples involved, no per-
manent peace will have been
attained.
They cannot be discussed sep
arately or in corners.
None of them constitutes
private or, separate interest from
which the opinion of the world
may be shut out. Whatever al
fects the peace affects mankind,
and nothing settled by military
force, if settled wrong, is settled
at all. 1t will presently have to
be reopened.
Court of Mankind.
Is Count Won Hertling not
aware that he is speaking in the
court of mankind, that all the
awakened nations of the world
now sit in judgment on what
every public man, of whatever
nation, may say on the issues OF
a conflict which has spread TO
every region of the world? j.
The reichstag resolutions Oh
July themselvts frankly accepted
the decisions of that court. There
shall be no annexations, no con-
tributicns, no punitive damages.
PEOPLES are not to be handed
about from one sovereignty to
another by an international con-
ference or any understanding be
tween rivals and antagonists.
National aspirations must De
respected; peoples may now DE
dominated and governed only by
their own consent.
"Self determinat Oh Is not
mere phrase. 1t is an Imperative
principle of action, which states
men will henceforth ignore at
their peril.
We cannot have general peace
for the asking, or by the mere
ARRANGEMENTS OF place CONFER
ence. 1t cannot be pieeed together
out of individual understandings
between powerful states.
No Bargains Between Kings.
All the parties to this war must
ioin in the settlement OF every
issue anywhere involved In IT.
because what we are seeking is a
peace that we can all unite to
guarantee and maintain, ana
every item of it must be submit
ted to the common Judgment
whether it be right and fair, an
act of justice, rather than bar
gain between SOVerelenS.
The United States has no de-
side to interfere in European at
fairs or to act as arbiter in Euro
peon territorial disputes. She
would disdain to take advantage
of any internal weakness or dis
order to impose her own will upon
another people.
Why We Are In.
She is quite ready to be shown
that the settlements she has sug-
gested are not the best or the
most enduring. They are only her
own provisional sketch OF princi-
pies and of the way in which they
should be applied.
But she entered this war be-
cause she was made a partner,
whether she would or not, In the
sufferings and indignities inflict-
ed by the military masters OF Ger
many against the peace and Sc
curity of mankind; and the condi-
lions of peace will touch her as
nearly as they will touch any 9TH
or nation to which is entrusted
leading part in the maintenance
of civilization.
She cannot see her way to peace
until the causes of this war are
removed, its renewal rendered as
nearly as may be impossible.
This war had its roots In the
disregard of the rights OF small
nations and of nationalitfes which
lacked the union and the force to
make good their claim to deter
mine their own aIlesiance and
their own form OF political life.
Must BE Impossible.
Covenants must now be entered
into which will render such things
impossible for the future; and
those covenants must be backed
by the united force of all the ma
lions that love justice and are
willing to maintain u at any cost.
II territorial settlements and
the political relations of great
populations which have not the
organized power to resist, are to
be determined by the contracts OF
the powerful governments which
consider themselves most directly
affected. as Count Won Hertling
proposes. why may not economic
questions also?
It has come about in the alter
-wxuJ1 t. urbfoh now find