The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-08

Is right, or what 1t Is humane and
honorable for them to accept, has
been stated with a frankness, a large
ness of view, a generosity of spirit and
"a universal human sympathy which
must challenge the admiration OF
every friend of mankind; and they
have refused to compound their ideals
or desert others that they them
selves may be safe. They call to US
to say what it is that we desire, in
what, if in anything our purpose and
our spirit differ from theirs, and 1
believe that the people of the United
States would wish me to respond
with utter simplicity and frankness
Whether their present leaders believe
1t or not it is bur heartfelt desire and
hope that some way may be opened
whereby we may be privileged to
their utmost hope of liberty and or
dered peace.
1t viii be our wish and purpose
that the processes. of oeacs, when
they are begun shall be absolutely
open. and that thew shall involve and
permit Eenceforth no secret under
standings of auv kind The day of
ACKNOWLEDGMENT is gone by; so is also
the day Of secret covenants entered
into in the interest of particular gov
ernments and likely at some unlocked
for moment to upset the peace of the
world. It is this happy fact, now
clear to the view of every public man
whose thoughts do not still Hnger in
an age that is dead and gone, which
makes it possible for every nation
| whose purposes are consistent with
justice and the peace Of the world to
avow now or at any other time the
objects it has in view.
I'VE entered this war because vio-
j lations of right had occurred which
touched us to the quick and made the
life of our own people impossible I'M
loss they were corrected and the
world secured once for all against
their recurrence.
What we demand in this war,
therefore, is nothing peculiar to our
selves. It is that the world be made
fit and safe to live in; apd particu-
larly that it be made safe for every
peace loving nation which, like ouI
own. wishes to live its own life, de-
termine it's own institutions, he as
sured of justice, and fair dealing by
the other peoples Of the world, as
against force and selfish aggression
All the peoples of the world are in eff
feet partners in this interest and fol
our own part we see very clearly that
unless Justice be done to others it will
rot be done to US The program OF
the worlds peace. therefore, is our
program, and that program. the only
POSSIBLE program. as we see it, is
this:
81. Open covenants of peace openly
arrived at, after which there shall be
Inc private international understand
ings of any kind but diplomacy shall
proceed always frankly and IN the
public view.
SO. 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 enforcement of inter-
national covenants.
'3. The removal, so far as possible,
of all economic barriers and the es-
tablishment of an equality of trade
conditions among all the nations con-
senting to the peace and associating
themselves for it's maintenance.
~. Adequate guarantees given and
taken that national ornaments will
be reduced to the lowest point consis'-
ent with domestic safety.
So. A, free, open minded, and abso-
lutely impartial adjustment of all
colonial claims, based upon a strict
observance of the principle that in
determining all such questions of SOW
ereisnty the interests of the popula.
lions concerned must have equal
weight with the equitable claims OF
the government whose title is to be
determined.
sc. The evacuation of all Russian
territory and such a settlement of all
questions affecting Russia as will Sc
cure the best and freest cooperation
and unembarrassed opportunity for
of the other nations of the world in
obtaining for her an unhampered and
unembarrassed opportunity for the
independent determination of her own
political development and national
policy and assure her of a sincere vel
come into the society of free nations
under institutions of her own chooS-
ing; and, more than welcome, as
sistance also of every kind that she
may need and NAV herself desire. The
threatment accorded Russia by her sis
ter 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 inter
ests and of their intelligent and III
selfish sympathy.
!; 81. Belgium the whole world will
agree, must be evacuated and restored
without amy attempt to limit the
sovereignty which she enjoys in com.
mon with all other free nations. Nc
other single act will serve as this viii
, 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 inter
national law is forever impaired.
So. All French territory should be
freed and the invaded portions re-