Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-02-15
PRESIDENT REPLIES TO
CZERNIN AND HERTLINC
No Peace on Such Basis.

No Peace on Such Basis.
1t must be evident TO everyone who
understands what this war has
wrought in the opinion and temper Of
the world that no general no peace
worth the infinite sacrifices OF these
years OF tragical suffering, can pos.
sibly be arrived at in any such fash
ion. The methods the German chan.
cellor proposes is the same method
Of the congress of Vienna, We cannot
and will not return 20 that, What Is
al stake now is the peace Of the world,
What we are striving for Is new
international order based upon the
broad and universal principles of right
and justice-no mere peace OF shreds
and patches Is It possible that Count
yuu llertling does not see that? Does
not grasp it, is In fact living in his
thought In world dead and gone?
Has he utterly forgotten the reich.
stag resolutions OF he nineteenth OF
July or does he deliberately ignore
them? They spoke Of the conditions
OF 4 general peace, not OF national
ACKNOWLEDGMENT or of an arrangement
between state and state,
The peace OF the world depends
upon just settlement of each OF the
several problems to which | advertel
in my recent address to the congress.
OF course, do not mean that the
peace OF the world depends upon the
acceptance Of any particular set OF
suggestions as to the way in which
those problems are to be dealt with,
| mean only tina. those problems cach
aid all affect the whole world; unless
they are dealt with in spirit OF un-
fish and unbiased justice, with 4
view to the wishes, the natural cor.
nections the racial aspirations, the
security. and the peace OF mind OF
the peoples involved. no permanent
peace will have been attained. They
cannot be discussed separately and
IN corners. N0ne OF them constitute
private or separate interest from
which The opinion Of the world may be
Shut out Whatever affects the peace
affects mankind and nothing settled
by military force il settled wrong il
settled al all Il viii presently have
10 be re'opeuel
Nations ST in Judgment
Is Count yon herl!ing not aware
thar h. IS speaking IN The count o.
mankind. thar all The awakened ma.
lions Of the world now sit IN Judgment
on what every pu,lic man Of what.
ever nation. may say on the issues Of
a coahiet. which has spread 10 every
region OF the world The reichstag
resolutions OF July themselves frank.
ly accepted the decisions Of that court
There shall BE- no anneXatons no con
tr.butions, no punitive damages Peo.
pies are not to be handed about from
one sovereignty 10 another by an ID.
ternationa conference or an under
standing between rivals and antagO.
nists National aspirations must be
respected, peoples may now be domi
mated and governed only by their own
consent Selfdetermiuation" is no;
a mere phrase 1t is an imperative
principle OF action. which statesme
VIII henceforth ignore at their peril
We cannot have general peace for the
asking or by the mere arrangements
III q peace conference It cannot he
peeal together out Of individual un
between powerful states
All the parties 10 this war must join
i'm the settlement OF every issue any
whore involved in it. because wha'
we are seeking is peace that we caa
all unite to guarantee and maintail
and every item OF it must be submit
ted 10 the common judgment whether
II be right and fair. an act of Justice
rather than bargain between SOW
ereigns
The United States has no desire 20
interfere in European affairs or to
act as arbiter in European territorial
disputes She would disdane to take
advantage OF any internal weakness
or disorder to impose her own will
upon another people She is quite
ready to be shown that the settle
mentS she has suggested are not the
best or the most enduring They are
only her own provisional sketch OF
principles and Of the way in which
they should be applied But she EN-.
tered this war because she was made
a partner. whether she would or not,
in the suiferings and indignities in.
tiicted by the military masters Of Ger
many against the peace and security
of mankind and the conditions Of
peace will touch her as nearly as they
will touch any other nation TO which
Is entrusted a leading part in the
maintenance Of civilization. She can-
not see her way to peace until the
causes of this war are moved, its re-
newal rendered as nearly as may be
impossible.
Whence War Sprang.
This war had its roots in the dis
regard of the rights Of small nations
and OF nat.onalities which lacked the
union and the force to make good
their claim to determine their own
allegiance and their own forms OF po-
litical life, 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 nations
that love justice and are willing to
maintain II at any cost. II territorial
settlements and the political relations
of great nopuulstions which have not
tho orCpui-rd nnwar IN reai9t are 10