Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-01-11
WILSON DEFINES
POSITION OF U. S.
Gives in Specific Terms What
U. S. is Fighting For, and
What Will BE Demanded
Before Peace Can Be Had


program of war and peace, with def
mite terms upon which the nations
great and small, fighting together
against Germany's world domination
are ready to lay down their arms
was given to the world by President
Wilson today, through an address te
congress in joint session.
For this program, based upon the
righting of wrongs and the safety OF
peace-loving peoples desiring to live
their own lives the president COM
mitted the United States to fight and
continue to fight until it is achieved
Thus he pledged the country to the
allied policy of no separate peace.
I'VE cannot be separated in inter-
est or divided in purpose" he said.
1--WE stand together to the end"
The speech, heard by congress at
an hours notice and accepted with a
wave of approval that brought to-
gether virtually every element in
both houses. was delivered as n di-
rect response to the German chal-
lenge in the negotiations with the
Russians at Brest-Litovs. 1t follow
ed closely and approved. the address
of the British premier, but was far
more specific in statement of terms
robbing of force in advantage any
German peace drive designed to con-
fuse the ntente and American gov
ernments and their people, while at
the same time presenting the foun-
dation for genuine negotiations when
ever the central powers are rady to
talk of Il just peace.
Fourteen concrete proposals were
laid down. The president began with
the declaration that the days of pri-
vate international understandings are
gone and that covenants of peace
must be reached in the open. These
fourteen proposals are as follows:
L. Open covenants of peace openly
arrived Mt, after which there shall be
no private international understand
ing of any kind but diplomacy shall
proceed always frankly and in the
public view.
2. Absolute freedom of navigation
upon the seas. outside territorial
waters, alike in peace and in war,
except as tn seas may be closed in
whole or in part by international ac-
tion for the enforcement of interna-
tional covenants.
3. The removal, so far as possible,
of all economic barriers and the es-
tablishment of an equality of trade
conditions among the nations con-
senting to the peace and associating
themselves for it's maintenance.
4. Adequate guarantees given and
taken that national armaments will
be reduced to the lowest point con-
sistcnt with domestic safety.
5. A free, open-minded and abso-
lutte impartial adjustment of all colo
nial claims, based upon strict OBJ
servance of the principle that in de-
termining all such questions of sover-
eighty the interests of the populations
concerned must have equal weight
with the equitable claims of the gov
ernment whose title is to be deter
mined.
6. The evacuation of all ussian
territory and such settlement of all
questions affecting Russia as will
secure the best and freest co-opera-
ton of the other nations of the world
in obtaining for her an unhampered
and unembarassed opportunity for the
independent determination of her own
political Development and national
policy and assure her of soincere
welcome into the society of free ma
tions under institutions of her own
choosing; and more than welcome,
assistance also of every kind that she
may need and may herself desire. The
treatment accorded ussia by her sis
ter nations in the months to come
will be the acid test of their good will
of their comprehension of her needs
as distinguished from their own nj
terests and of their intelligent and
unselfish sympathy.
z. Belgium, the whole world will
agree must be evacuated and restor-
ed without any attempt to limit the
sovereignty which she enjoys in COM
mon with all other free nations. 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 determined for the
government of their relations with
one another. Without this healing act
the whole structure and validity of
international law is forever impaired
8. All French territory should be
freed and the invaded portions re-
stored 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 fifty
years, should be righted, in order that
peace may once more be made secure
in the interest of ALL
8. REIMBURSEMENT of the frontiers
if Italy should be affected along
clearly recognizable lines of nation
atty.
10. The peoples of Austria-H -Hunga-
ry whose place among the nations
we wish to see safe-guarded and as
sured should be accnrded the oreat