St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1918-01-12

whether their present -e3derS De
leye it or not, it is our heartfelt de
ire am. hope that some way may be
opened whereby we may be priyileg
ed to assist the people OF Russia t
attain Their utmost hope OF libert
md ordered peace.
1t will be our wish and pur'9
her the processes of peace, whe
they are begun, shah be aosolutel
open and that they shall involve ar
permit henceforth no secret undc6
standings of any kind.
The day of conquest and ag-
grandizement is gone by; so is
also the day of secret covenants
entered into in the interest Of
particular governments and
likely at some unlocked for mo-
ment to upset the peace of the
world.
1t is this happy fact, now clear tc
the view Of every puplic man whose
thoughts do not still linger 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 OBJ
jects it has in view.
We entered the war because VIC
lations of right had occurred which
touched us to the quick and made
the life of our people impossible I'M
less they were corrected and the
world secured once for all against
their recurrence.
What we demand in this war
therefore, is nothing peculiar to
ourselves. 1t is that the world
be made fit and safe to live in;
and particularly that 1t be made
safe for every pcace-loving ma
ton which, like our own, wish
es to live its own life, determine
its own institutions, be assured
of justice and fair-dcaling by
the other peoples of the world
as against force and selfish ag-
erosion.
AN the peoples in the world are
| in effect partners in this interest
and for our own part we see very
clearly that unless justice be done
TO others 1t will not be done to us
The program of the worlds reace.
! therefore, is our program; and that
program, the only possible program.
| as we see it, is this.
l. Open covenants of peace, open
| ~ arrived at, after which there shall
! be. no private international under
standing of any kind, but diplomacy
shall proceed always frankly and in
the public view.
| II. Absolute freedom OF naviga-
ton upon the seas. outside territori-
al waters, alike in peace and in war,
except as the seas may be closed in
whole or in part by international ac-
| ton for the enforcement OF fnterna-
tional covenants.
| III. The removal, go far as pos
sible, of all economic barriers and
| the establishment of an equality Of
trade conditions among all the ma
| tons conserving to the peace and
a9scciating themselves for its main
tenance.
w. Adequate guarantees given
/ and taken that national ornaments
will be reduced to the lowest piont
consistent with domestic safety. :
v. A free. open-minded, and alb
| solutely impartial adjustment OF at
colonial claims, based upon STRIFE
observance of the principle that in
determining all such questions of
sovereignty the interests Of the pop
ulations concerned mus have equal
weight with the equitable claims OF
the government whose title is to be
determined.
vi. The evacuation OF all Rus
sian territory and such settlement
of all questions affecting Russia as
will secure the best and freest Co
operation of the other nations OF the
world in obtaining for her an un-
hampered and unembarrassed OPP
portunity for the Independent de-
termination of her political develop
ment and national policy and assure
her of sincere welcome into the
| society of free nations under insti-
tutions of her own choosing; and.
more than a 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 will be
the acid test of their good will. OF
heir comprehension Of her needs as
distinguished from their own inter-
ests and of their intelligent and un-
selfish sympathy.
! VII. Belgium. the whole world
| will agree, must be eTacuted and re-
stored. without any attempt to limit
the sovereignty which she enjoys in
common with all other free nationa-
No other single act will serve as this
will serve to restore confidence
among the nations in the laws which
they have themselves set and de-
termined for the government of their
| relations with one another. With
out this healing act the whole struc-
ture and validity of International
! law is forever impaired.
VIII Al French territory should
| be freed and the invaded portions
| restored, 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 so years, should be righted,
| in order that peace may once more
be made secure in the interest OF all.
TX. A readiustment Of the from
tiers of Italy should BE effected along
| clearly recognizable lines Of nation
atty.
x. The peoples Of Austria-Hun-
gary, whose place among the nations
We wish tn SEQ safe p,,arded and a.