Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-27
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desire after the war to live in peace
and friendship, becoming the object u
jumping off ground OF enemy machi'
nations. If, therefore, a proposal cam
from the opposing side. for example
from the government in Havre. We
should not adopt an antagonlstlc az
titude. even though the discussion al
first might easily be unbinding.
Meanwhile it does not appear a.
if Mr. Runciman's suggestion has a
chance of assuming tangible shape
and | must adhere TO the eAls'Hi5
methods of dialogue across the chann1I
: and ocean.
Adopting this method l readily admit
that President Wilson's message OF feo'
/. represents, perhaps, small step 10
wards a mutual Impeachment. l there
fore pass over the preliminary and eX-
cessively long declarations in order to ao-
dress myself Immediately to the four prin-
c:ples which, in President Wilson's opln-
ior., must be applied in mutual ex-
change OF views.
Wilson's Four Principles
The first clause says that each part
OF the final settlement must be based
upon the essential justice of that partic-
ulal case and upon such adjustments as
are most likely to bring a peace that will
be permanent. Who would contradict
. this? The phrase coined by the great
, father of the church. .Augustin, 1909 years
ago. 'Justitia fundamentum reSnoruln.' is
still valid today. Certain it is that only
peace based in all its parts and the prIn-
cil!es Of justice has "A prospect of en-
, durance.
The second clause expresses the de
sire that peoples and provinces shall not
b. bartered about from sovereignty to
/ sovereignty as if they were mere chatteis
ana pawns in a game, even the great
game. now forever discredited. of the
balance of power.
This clause, too. can be uncondition-
ally assented to. Indeed, one wonders
that the President of the United States
considered it necessary TO emphasize II
anew. This clause contains a polemic
against conditions long vanished, views
against cabinet politics and cabinet RS,
against mixing state territory and prince
ly and private property, which belong to
past that is far behind us.
Il do not want to be discourteous but
when one remembers the earlier utter
ances of President Wilson one might
think that he is laboring under the illu-
sioE that there exists in Germany an an
tagonism between an autOcratic govern
ment and a mass of people without rights
And yet President Wilson knows
as at any rate, the German edition OF
his book on the state proves-German
no
therefore that with us princes and gov
ernments are the highest members OF
the nation as whole, organized in the
form of a state, the highest members
with whom the final decision lies But
, seeing that they also as the supreme
organs, belong to the whole the deci-
sion of such a nature that only the
welfare of the whole is the guiding
line for a decision to be taken. 1t MAY
be useful expressly to point this out to
President Wilson's countrymen.
Then finally. at the close of the sec
ond clase, the game Of the balance OF
: power is declared to be for ever dis
credited. We. too. can only gladly APP
plaud As is well known, it was Eng
land who invented the principle of the
in order especially to apply it when
one of the states on the European con
tinent threatened to become too pow
t erful for her. 1t was only another cN-
preston for England's domination.
The third clause, according 10
, which every territorial settlement in
volved in this war, must be made III
the interest for the benefit OF the pop
ulations concerned, and not as part OF
any mere adjustment or compromise
of claims among rival states IS only
the application of the foregoing IN
: definite direction or deduction from
, it and is therefore included IN the as
sent given to that clause.
Vow. in the fourth clause. he de-
,,ands that all well-defned national as
n;rations shall be accorded the utmos'
isatisfaction that can lie accorded them
without introducing new or perpetuatlon
l of old elements OF discord ana ahtaeoE-
= ism that would be likely in time TO break
: lie peace of Europe and consequently OF
the world. Here, also, l can give assent
in principle, and l declare therefore
with President wilson that general
peace on such basis is discussable.
"Onlv one preservation is TO be made.
These principles must not be proposed hE
the President of the United States alone,
hut they must also be recognized def:
nitely by all states and nations Pres
ident Wilson, who reproacheS the Ger
nan chancellor with a certain amount OF
baCkwardness, seems to me in his flight
OF ideas to have hurried far in advance
, of existing realities
"Certainly a league Of nations erect
ed upon justice and mutual unseliish ap-
probation. a condition Of humanity in
which war. together with all that remains
o. the earliest barbarism, should have
completely disappeared and in which
there should be no bloody sacrifices, no
self humiliation Of peoples, no destruction
o. laboriously acquired cultural values
that would be an aim devoutely 70 he de-
sired
But that aim has not vet been reached.
There does not yet exist court OF arbi-
tration set up by all nations for the safe
guarding of peace in the name of justice.
Wien President Wilson incidentally says
that the German chancellor IS speaking
II the court OF the entire world, | must
] must. as things stand today, in the
name Of the German Empire and her al
lies decline thisskourt as Dreiudiced ioV-