Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-07-11
OUR WAR AIMS.

OlR WAX AIMS.
II would be a fine thing If American
war aims, as set forth by President
Wilson in his Fourth Of July address,
could be printed in attractive form,
and hung up in every home and every
place of public assemblage in the
United States. frequent and care
ful persual OF them would serve as an
education in the basic principles Of
government for those who have never
given thought TO such matters. It
would help all 10 hold clearly in mind
the big things for which we are fight
ing.
First. The destruction OF any arbi-
trary power anywhere that can sep
arately, secretly and of it's single
choice. disturb the peace of the world;
or II ii cannot be presently destroyed
at the least its reduction to virtual
impotence.
Second. The settlement of every
question, whether of territory. of SOW
ereignty, of economic arrangement, or
of political relationship, upon the
basis OF the free acceptance of that
settlement by the people Immediately
concerned. and not upon the basis of
the material interest or advantage of
any other nation or people which may
desire a different settlement for the
sake of it's own exterior influence or
mastery.
Third The consent of all nations
TO be governed in their conduct to-
ward each other by the same princi-
pies of honor and of respect for the
common law of civilized society that
govern the individual citizens of all
modern states i'm their relations with
one another; to the end that all prom
Uses and covenants may be sacredly
observed, no private plots or conspira
cies hatched no selfish injuries
wrought with impunity. and a mutual
trust established upon the handsome
foundations of a mutual respect for
right
Fourth. The establishment of an
organization of peace which shall
make il certain that the combined
power of free nations will check
make peace and justice the more Sc
cure by affording a definite tribunal
of opinion TO which all must submit
and by which every international re-
haf ha anniRa hlW
agreed upon by the peoples directly
concerned shall be sanctioned"
There is no question that this decla
ration expresses the matured opinion
of the nation. The President has
merely put into precise and polished
English the ideas that nearly all
Americans who speak or write have
uttered over and over again. They
might be put bluntly as follows:
First Militarism must be destroyed.
Second All peoples shall freely de-
termine their own fate.
Third. Governments must act
squarely and decently as individuals.
Fourth, There must be an armed
league of nations to enforce peace
There is nothing in these state
ments to occasion any surprise in
America They are as natural as the
air we breathe. They are n part of
our political atmosphere We are sur
prised only when we discover that
they surprise certain other nations
and races. which have not travelled
so far along the road of political evolu-
ton Eventually, we do. not doubt,
they will be accepted everywhere. The
principles on which our own govern
ment was founded will be recognized
and applied, as our forefathers be-
lieved they would, throughout the
earth
That is what we are lighting for,
generously and confidently, in this sec
ond American Revolution, which is q
world revolution.