The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-02-15

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si5le.
This war had its roots in tle DIS
regard Of the rights OF small nations
and OF nationalities which lacked the
union and the force to make good
their claim to determine their own al
legiance and their own forms OF po-
litical life. Covenants must now 0e
entered into which viii render such
things impossible for the IGt1rc:
and those covenants must be Dackei
b the united force o: all the nations
that love justice and are wiling t.
maintain II at any cost. Ii territorial
settlements and the political relations
OF great populations which have no:
the organized power 10 resist are 20
be determined by the contracts Of the
powerful governments which consider
Themselves most directly affected. as
Count ven HertIing proposes. way
may not economic questions also? Il
has come about in the altered world
in which We now find ourselves that
justice and the rights OF People af-
feet the whole field OF international
dealing IS much as access, to raw
material and fair and equal condi
tons of trade.
4 0ne-Sided Proposition.
CO INT Won Hertling wants the es-
bases of commercial and in,
& TT II life to be safeguarded BY
n agreement and guarantee,
Lu de can not expect that to be con-
oeded him if the other matters to oa
, determined by the articles cf peace
are not handled in the same way as
items in the final accounting. He can
not ask the benefit Of common agree
ment in the one field without accord
ing it in the other. I take it for
granted that he sees that separate
and selfish compact with regard to
trade and the essential materials
OF manufacture would afford no loun-
rest assured, will separate and selfish
compacts with regard to provinces
and peoples.
Count Czernin seems to see the fun.
damntal elements of peace with
clear eyes and does not seek to oD-
scure them. He sees that an independ
ent Poland, made up Of all the indis-
rutably Polish peoples VINO lie con-
tiguous to one another, is matter of
, European concern and must of
course be conceded; that Belgium
must be evacuated and restored, no
matter what sacrifices and conces-
sions that may involve; and that
national aspirations must be salts
fed. even within his own empire. in
the common interest of Europe and
mankind If he is silent about Ques.
tionS which touch the interest and
purpose Of his allies more nearly
than they touch those of Aus.
tria only, it must of course be because
he feels constrained, I suppose, to
defer to Gergany and Turkey In the
circumstances. Seeing and conceding
as he does. the essential principles
involved and the necessity of candid
ly applying them, he naturally feels
that Austria can respond to the pur-
pose of peace as expressed by the
United States with less embarrass-
ment than could Germany. He would
probably have gone much farther had
it not been been for the embarrass-
ments of Austria's alliances and of
her dependence upon Germany.
After all, the test of whether it is
possible for either government to go
any furthr in this comparison Of
views is simple and obvious. The
principles to be applied are these:
First. That each part of the final
settlement must be based upon the
essential justice of that particular
case and upon such adjustments as
are most likely to bring peace ina.
will be permanent.
Second. That peoples and provinces
are not to be bartered about from
sovereignty to. sovereignty as if they
were mere chattels and pawns in a
game, even the great game, now for
ever discredited. of the balance Of
power but that,
Third. Every territorial settlement
involved in this war must be made in
the, interest of and for the benefit OF
the populations concerned. and not rs
part of any mere adjustment or
Of al