Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-13
Fourteen Points"

Fourteen Points"
1. Open covenants of peace, OPEN
h arrived at, after which there
shall be no private International un-
Gerstandines of any kind, but di-
Flomacy shall proceed always frank
y and in the public view.
.. Absolute freedom of naV1ga-
ton upon the seas. outside terri
torial waters, alike in peace and In
var except as the seas may be
closed in whole or in part by inter-
national action for the enforcement
OF international covenants.
3. The removal. so far as posi-
bile, of all economic barriers and
the establishment of an equality or
trade conditions among all nations
conserving to the peace and aSSo-
ciating themselves for its malnte-
nance.
e. Adequate guarantees given and
taken that national armament VIII
he reduced to the lowest point con-
sIsJent with domestic safety.
;. a free. open-minded and alb
solutely impartial adjustment of
all colonial claims. based upon q
strict observance of the principle
that in determining all such ques-
lions of sovereignty the interests
OF the populations concerned must
have equal weight with the equi-
table claims OF the government
whose title IS to h" determined
C. The evacuation Of all Russian
territory and such a settlement ol
all questions affecting Russia as
will secure the best and ifeeSt
cooperation of. the other nations
of the world in obtaining for her
an unh&mPercd and unempar-
raised opportunity for the indie
napdnnt dot q ion of her own
POLITICAL development and ma
tional policy and assure her OF
sincere welcome into the society
of free nations under institutions
of her own choosing. and. more
than Il welcome, assistance also of
every kind that she may need and
may herself desire. The treatment
accorded Russia by her sister ma
tons in the months to come viii
be the acid test of their good Will.
of their comprehension of their
needs as distinguished from their
own interests and of their lntelll-
gent and unseltish sympathy
{. Belgium, the whole world Will
agree rnuSt be evacuated and re-
stored. without any attempt to
limit the sovereignty which she
enjoys in common with all other
free nations. NO other single act
will serve as this will serve to re-
stor. confidence among the nations
in the laws which they themselves
have set and determined for the
government of their relations with
one another. Without this healing
act the whole structure and valid
ity of international law is forever
impaired.
s. All French territory should be
freed and the invaded portions re-
stored. and the wrong done to
France by Prussia in 1871 in the
matter of Alsace-Lorraine, which
has unsettled the peace of the
world for nearly fifty years. should
be richted. in order that peace
may once more be made secure in
the interest of all.
o \ readjustment of the from
tiers of Italy should he effected
along clearly recognizable lines or
nationality.
10. The peoples of Austria-Hun-
gary, whose place among nations
we wish to see Safeguarded and
assured. should be accorded the
freest opportunity of autonomous
development.
H. Rumania. Serbia and Monte
negro should be evacuated: occu-
pied territories restored; Serbia ac-
corded free and secure access to the
sea and the relations of the sew
eral Balkan states to one another
determined by friendly counsel
along historically eSta blIShed lines
of allegiance and nationality; and
international guarantees of the po-
litical and economic independence
and territorial integrity of the sew
e-al Balkan states should be enter
ed into.
L. The Turkish portions of the
present ottoman empire should be
assured a secure sovereignty. But
the other nationalitieS which are
now under Turkish rule should be
assured an undnubted security of
life and an absolutely unmoleSted
opportunity of autonomous deVel-
opment And the DardanelleS
should he permanently opened as
free passage to the ships and COM
mercc of all nations under lnterna-
tional guarantees.
Is. An Independent Polish state
should he erected which should in
clude the territories inhabited by
indisputablv Polish populations.
which should be assured free and
secure access to the sea, and whose
political and economic independence
and territorial integrity should be
guaranteed by international cove
nant.
Ii A general association of ma
tons must he formed under spe-
cific covenants for the purpose of
affordinE mutual guarantees of po-
litical Independence and territorial
integrity to great and small states
alike.