The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-01-18
President Wilson Defines
War Aims in UnnznOunced
Address Before Congress-

| GNU u SoouiS uilltSS lie 10 sur Wy Oii'
a peradventure that the objects Of thu
very life of society and that the people
for whom he speaks think them RICH
and imperative as he does.
There is, moreover, a voice calling
for these definitions of principle an6
of purpose which is, it seems 20 me
more thrilling and more compelling
than any of the many moving voices
with which the troubled air is filled
4 1t is the voice of the Russian people
They are PROSTATE and all but help
less, it would seem, before the grim
power of Germany, which has hitherto
/ known no relenting and no pity.
Hopes to Help Russia.
Their power apparently is shat
tered and vet their soul is not sub
servient. They will not yield either
in principle or in action. The con-
ception of what is right, of what it
is humane and honorable for them to
accept, has been stated with a frank
ness, a largeness of view, a gener-
osity of spirit and a universal human
sympathy which must challenge the
admiration of every friend of man
kind, and they have refused to COM
pound their ideals or desert others
that they themselves may be safe.
They call to us to say what it is that
we desire, in what, if anything, our
purpose and our spirit differ from
theirs; and | believe that the people
of the United States would wish me
to respond with utter simplicity and
frankness. Whether their present
leaders believe it or not, it is our
heartfelt desire and hope that some
way may be opened whereby we may
be privileged to assist the people of
Russia to attain their utmost hope of
liberty and ordered peace.
1t will be our wish and purpose
that the processes of peace, when they
are begun, shall be absolutely open
and that they shall involve and per-
NIT henceforth no secret undertake
quest and ACKNOWLEDGMENT is gone by !; |
so is also the day of secret covenants
into in the interests of par
ticular governments and likely at some
moment to upset the |
peace of the world. 1t is this happy |
fact, now clear to the veiw of every /
public man whose thoughts do not |
still linger in an age that is dead and
gone, which makes it possible for |
every nations whose purposes are con-
sistent with justice and the peace of
the world to avow now or at any other /
time the objects it has in view.
Why We Entered War.
We entered this war because viola
ions of right had occurred which
touched us to the quick and made the
ife of our own people impossible I'M
ess they were corrected and the
world secured once and for all against
heir recurrence. What we demand
n this war, therefore, is nothing Pc
,uliar to ourselves. 1t is that the
world be made fit and safe to live in;
md particularly that it be made safe I
or every peace-loving nation, which
ike our own, wishes to live its own !
Ife, determine its own institutions, be
ssured of justice and fair dealings /
y the other peoples of the world as
gainst force and selfish aggression.
III the peoples of the world are in
fleet partners in this interest and r
or our own part we see very clearly r
hat unless justice be done to others, T
will not be done to us. The program r
the worlds peace, therefore, is our +
rogram, and that program, the only r
ossible program, as we see it, Sthis r
Peace Program. e
1. Open covenants of peace, openly
rived at, in which there shall be no n
rivate international understandings C
any kind, but diplomacy shall pro- a
led always frankly and in the public t
ew. a
Free Seas.
ol,,+1 - | T.
BON the seas, outside territorial 1,
aters, alike in peace and in war, ex- K
,pt as the seas may be closed in n
hole or in part by international n
-
Trade Equality. h
8. Removal, so far as possible. of "
economic barriers and the estab- o.
;hment of an equality of trade condi- in
)ns among all the nations consenting t.
the peace and associating them h
Ives for its maintenance is
Reduce Armaments. u
4. Adequate guarantees given and q,
ken that national ornaments will h,
reduced to the lowest point con- a,
stent with democratic safety. n,
Colonial Claims. ST
D. A free, 0pen-mfnded and abSo-
tely impartial adjustment of all
lonial claims, based upon a strict
servance of the principle that in tc
'terming all such questions of OF
verignty the interests of the popu- Sc
lions concerned must have equal Sc
eight with the equitable claims of Iii
e government whose title is to be til
termined. 81
Evacuate Russia. 10
5. The evacuation of all Russian y,
'ritory and such settlement of all ~
estions affecting Russia as will Sc ~
re the best and freest cooperation -
the other nations of the world in e. e.
tanning for her an unhampered and ~
opportunity for the ~ =,
dependent determination of her own - =,
itical development and national ~ ~
icy and assure her of a sincere adj a no
ice into the society of free nations ~ ~
Ter institutions of her own choos- ~ -,
Z; and more than q welcome, assis- ~
ice also of every kind that she may af
ID and may herself desire. The treat 10
MT accorded Russia by her sister ~ rs
ions in the months to come will be =, II
acid test Of their good will, of 70
ir comprehension of her needs, as ~
from their own inter- ~,
$, and Of their intelligent and UNI an
TIL IL