Evening journal., 1918-09-28
NO PEACE WITHOUT
IMPARTIAL JUSTICE
President Wilson Declares Germany VIII
Haze to Redeem Her Character Not by
What Happens at the Peace Table
But Why What FOIIOIUS

ciples for which we are fighting. There
should exist no doubt about that. !
am, therefore, going 10 take the liberty
Of speaking with tho utmost frankness
about the practical implications that
are invoked in It.
"If It be in deed and in truth the
common object of the governments as
ISOLATED against Germany and Of the
nations whom they govern, as / be-
lleye II 20 be, TO achieve by the coming
settlements a secure and lasting peace,
lt 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 IL; and
ready and willing, also, to create in
some virlle fashion the only instru-
mentality by which lt can be made GER
tain that. the agreements OF the peace
will be honOred and fulfilled.
IMPARTIAL JUSTICE.
e'That price is impartial justice in
every item of the settlements, no mat
Ter whose interest Is crossed; and not
only impartial justice, but also the sat
isfaction of the several peoples whose
fortunes are dealt with. That indis-
pensible insirumentality is a league OF
nations formed under covenants that
will he efIlcaciOus. With out such an
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
by what happens at the peace table,
but by what follows.
"And, as / see it, the constitution OF
that league OF nations and the clear de-
anltlon OF its objects must be a part,
lis in a sense the most essential part
of the peace settlement itself. II can
not be formed now. II formed now 1t
would be merely a new alliance con-
fined 10 the nations associated against
common enemy.
at Is not likely that 1t could be form
ed after the settlement. IL Is neces-
sary 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 will be parties to the peace
whose promises have proved untrust-
worthy, and means must be found in
connection with the peace settlement IT.
self TO remove that source Of insecurity.
It would be folly to- leave the guar
antee 10 the subsequent voluntary ae-
tlon Of the governments we have seen
destroy Russia and deceive Rumania.
"But these general terms do not dis
close the whole matter. Some details
are needed 10 make them sound less
| Ike a thesis and more like a practical
program. These, then, are some OF the
particulars, and | state them with the
greater confidence because | can state
them authOrllatively as representing
this governments Interpretation OF Its
own duty with regard to peace:
NO ECONOMIC BOYCOTT.
"First, the impartial justice meted
out must involve no discrimination be-
tween those TO whom we wish TO be
Iust and those 10 whom we do not
wish 10 be Just. II must be a Justice
that plays no favOrite and knows no
standard but the equal rights OF the
several peoples concerned;
"Second, no special or separate in
terest of any single nation or any group
OF nations can be made the basis Of
any part OF the settlement which is not
consistent with the common interest Of
all;
alliances or special covenants and un-
derstandings with the general and com
mon family of the league OF nations;
Fourth. and more specifically, there
can be no special, selfish economic COM
binations within the league and no en-
pIoyment of any form Of economic
boycOtt or exclusion except as the
power Of economic penalty by exclu-
sion from the markets OF the world
may be vested in the league Of nations
itself as a means OF discipline and con-
troll.
"Fffth. all international agreements
and treaties of every kind must be
made known, i'm their entirety TO the
rest of the world.
| "Special alliances and economic rival
ries and hostiities have been the prolific
source in the modern world OF the
plans and passions that produce war.
llt would be an insihcere as well as an
/ Insecure peace that did not include
Them in definite and binding terms.
FOR A GENERAL ALLIANCE.
"The confidence with which venture
TO speak for our people in these mat
! ters does not spring from our tradi-
tions merely and the well-known prin-
ciples Of international action which we
have always professed and followed In
the same sentence in which / say that
\ the United states will enter into no
Especial arrangements or understandings
with particular nations, let me say also
That The United States Is prepared %
assume its full share Of responsibility
for the maintenance OF the common
covenants and UNDERSTANDINGS upon
which peace must henceforlh rest. We
stlll read Washlngton's immortal warn
Ing against 'entangling alliances with
full comprehension and an answering
purpose. But only special and limited
alliances entangle; and we recognize
and accept the duty OF a new day IN
which we are permitted to hope Tor a
general alliance which will avoid en-
tanglements and clear the air OF the
world for common UNDERSTANDINGS and
the maintenance Of common rights.
II have made this analysis Of the in
ternational situation which the war has
created, not Of course, because doubt
ed whether the leaders Of the great ma
tIons and peoples with whom we are
associated were Of the same mind and
entertained a like purpose, but because
the air every now and again gets dark
ened by mists and groundless doubt
ings and mischievous perversions or
counsel and II IS necessary once and
again, to sweep all the irresponsible
talk about peace intrigues and weak
ening morale and doubtful purpose on
the part Of those in authority utterly,
and II need be unceremoniously, aside
| and say things in the nlaiuaet words
that can be found. even when IL Is only