The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-11

Will a-sW uiSH .tuo tIOuulcuL iii VI tlSf
world is filed. It is the voice OF the
Russian people. They are prostrate
and all but helpless, it would seem,
before the grim power of Germany,
which has hitherto known no relent-
ing and no pity. Their power, appar-
emily, is shattered. And yet their
soul is not subveient. They will not
yield either in principle or in action.
Their conception of what is right,
of what is humane and honorable for
them to accept has been stated with
frankness, a largeness of view, a
generosity of spirit and universal
human sympathy which must chal
ienge the admiration of every friend
of mankind; and they have refused to
compound their ideals or desert
others that they themselves may be
safe.
They call on us to say what 1t is
that we desire; in what, if anything,
our purpose and our spirit differ from
theirs. And l believe that the people
of the United States would wish me to
respond, with utter simplicity and
frankness.
Wants Processes Open.
Whether their present leaders be-
lieve it or not, it is our heartfelt de-
sire that some way may be opened.
whereby we may be privileged to as.
sist the people of Russia to attain
their utmost hope of liberty and or.
dered peace. 1t will be our wish and
purpose that the processes of peace,
when they are begun, shall be abso-
lutely open and that they shall in.
volve and permit henceforth no secret
understandings of any kind.
The day of conquest and aggran.
dizement 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 to the
view of every public man whose
thoughts do not still linger in an age
that is dead and gone which makes it
possible for every nation whose pur
poses are consistent with justice and
the peace of the world to avow now
or at any other time the objects it
has in view. F
We entered this war because viola.
tons of right had occurred which
touched us to the quick and made the
life of our own people impossible I'm.
less they were corrected and the world
secured once for all against their re.
currence.
Safe World To Live In Is Demand.
What we demand in this war, there.
fore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves.
1T is that the world be made fit and
safe to live in; and particularly that
it be made safe for every peace loving
nation which, like our own, wishes to
live its own life, determine its own in,
stitutions, be assured of justice and
fair dealing by the other peoples OF
the world as against force and selfish
aggression. All the people of the
terest and for our own part we see
very clearly that unless justice be
done to others, it will not be done to
US. The program of the worlds peace.
therefore, is our program; and that
program, the only possible program.
rs we see it, is this:
First-Open covenants of peace,
openly arrived at, after which
there shall be no private interna-
tional understandings of any kind
but diplomacy shall proceed al
ways frankly and in the public
view.
Second-Absolute freedom of
navigation upon the seas, outside
territorial waters, alike in peace
and in war, except as the seas may
be closed in whole or in part by
international action for the en-
forcement of international cove
nants.
Third-The removal, so far as
possible, of all economic barriers
and the establishment of an equal
ity of trade conditions among all
the national consenting to the
peace and associating themselves
for it's maintenance.
Fourth - Adequate guarantees
given and taken that national arm
aments will be reduced to the low
est point consistent with domestic
safety.
Fifth-A free, open minded and
absolutely impartial adjustment
of all colonial claims, based upon
a strict observance of the princi-
Piles that in determining all such
questions of sovereignty the inter-
ests of the populations concerned
must have equal weight with equit-
able claims Of the government
whose title is to be determined.
Sixth.-The evacuation of all Rus
sian territory and such settlement of
all questions affecting Russia as will
secure the best and freest cooperation
of the other nations of the world in
obtaining for her an unhampered and
unembarrassed opportunity for the in
dependent determination of her own
political development and national
policy and assure her of a sincere wei.
come into the society of free nations
under institutions of her own choosing
and, more than welcome, assistance
also of every kind that she may need
and may herself desire. The treat
ment accorded Russia by her sister ma
tions in the months to come will be
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