The Washington herald., 1918-09-28

"es nave ho FfSut 70 TuIe IA
cept the right of fOrces
Shall strong nations be free
to wrong weak nations and
make them subject to their pur-
pose and interests
Shall people be ruled and
dominated, even in their own
Internal Affairs by arbitrary and
irresponsible force or by their
own will md choicef
Shall there be common
standard of right and privilege
for all peoples and nations, or
shall the strong do ms they will
md the weak suffer without re-
dressf
Have Seen Them Deal with
others.
Shall the assertion Of right
be hnphaInrd md by casual al
Iiance. or shall there be n COM
mon concert to obiige the OBJ
serynnce of common rightsf
No mnp, no group of men,
chose these to be the issues of
the struggle. They ARE the
issues of II, and they must be
settled by no arrangement or
compromise or adjustment of
Interests, but definitely and
once for aII and with n full and
uncquiyocnI acceptance of the
principle that the Interest of
the weakest Ii ms sacred ss the
interest of the strongest.
This Is what we mean when
we speak of a permanent peace,
IL we speak sincerely, inteiIi-
gently and with n real knowI-
edge md comprehension of the
matter we deal with.
We nre all agreed that there
can be no peace obtained by any
Kind of bargain or compromise
With the governments of the
central empires, because we
have dealt with them already
and have seen them deal with
other governments that were
party to this struggle. Mt Brest-
LitovsK and Bucharest. They
have convinced us that they are
without honor and do not in
tend justice. They observe no
covenants, accept no principle
but force and their own inter-
est. We cannot "come to terms,
with them. They have made IL
Impossible. The German people
must by this time be fully
aware that we cannot rcccpt
the word of those who forced
this war upon US. We do not
MI L.
speak the same language of
agreements.
1t is OF capital importance that
we should be explicitly agreed that
no peace shall be obtained by any
kind of compromise or abatement
of the principles we have avowed
as the principles for which we are
fighting. There should exist no
doubt about that. I am. therefore.
going TO take the liberty of speak
ing 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 govern
ments associated against Ger
many. and OF the nations which
they govern, as l believe 1t to be.
70 achieve by the coming settle
ments a secure and lasting 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
procure it: and ready and willing,
also, to create in some virile fash
ion the only instrumentality by
which il can be made certain that
the agreements of the peace will
be honored and fulfilled.
Price Is Impartial Justice.
Tint price Is impartial justice
In every Item of settlement. no
mHtter whose interest is crossed;
not only Impartial justice but
also the satisfaction Of the sew
ernl peoples whose fortunes are
dealt with. That indispensable
fundamentally Is a league of
nations formed under covenants
that will be effc1cious. with
out such instrumentality, by
which the peace of the world
can be guaranteed. peace will
rest in part upon the word of
outlaws and only upon that
word. for Germany will have to
redeem her character, not only
by what happens Mt the peace
table but whnt follows.
And, as i see It. the execution Of
that league OF nations and the
clear definition of its objects must
be part, is in a sense the most
essential Of
ment itself. 1t cannot be formed
now. II formed now, 1t would be
merely a new alliance confined to
the nations associated against n
common enemy. 1t is not likely
that it could be formed after that
settlement. 1t is necessary to
guarantee the peace; and the peace
cannot be guaranteed as an after
thought. The reason. to speak IN
plain terms again, why IL must be
guaranteed is that there viii be
parties to the peace whose
promises have proven untrust-
worthy. and means must be found
in connection with the peace set
tlement itself to remove that
source Of insecurity. 1t woUlu
be folly to leave the guarantee to
the subsequent voluntary action of
the governments we have seen de-
stroy Russia and deceive Rumania.
But those general terms do
not disclose the whole matter.
Some details are needed to
make them sound less like
thesis and more like a prncti-
cnI program. These. then, are
some of the particulars. and /
state them with the greater
confidence because ! can state
them authoritatively as repre-