Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-28
IMPARTIAL JUSTICE is PRICE
OF PEACE, SAYS PRESIDENT
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Continued from Page One
seen them with steady eyes and un.
changing comprehension yer since.
We accepted the issues OF the war as
facts, not as any group OF men either
here or elsewhere had defined them,
and we can accept no outcome which
docs not squarely meet and settle
them. Those issues are these:
Shall the military power of any ma.
ton or group Of nations be suffered
10 determine the fortunes of. people
over whom they have no right to rule
Except the right of force?
Shall strong nations be free to
wrong weak nations and make them
subject to their purpose and interest?
Shall peoples be ruled n domi'
mated, even in their own Internal
affairs. by arbitrary and Irresponsible
force or by their own will and choice?I
Shall there be a common standard
of right md privilege for all PEG.
pies and nations, or shall the strong
do as they will and the weak suffer
without redress?
shall the assertion of right be hap.
hazarded and by casual alliance or
shall there be a common concert to
oblige the observance of common
rights?
issues MUST lie NettIeu
y man. no group Of men. chose
these to be the issues of the struggle.
They are the issues of II, and they must
he settled by no arrangement or COM
promise or adjustment OF interests, but
definitely and once for all. and with a
full and unequiyocal acceptance OF the
principle that the interest of the weak
est is as sacred as the interest of the
strongest.
This is what we mean when we speak
Of a permanent peace, il we speak sim
cerely. intelligently and with a real
knowledge and comprehension OF the
matter we deal with.
W are all agreed that there can be
no peace obtained by any kind of bar
gain or compromise with the govern
ments OF the Central Empires. because
we have dealt with them already and
have seen them deal with other govern
ments that were parties to this strug-
gle at Brest-Litoysk and Bucharest.
They have convinced us that they are
without honor and do not intend JUS
tice. They observe nc covenants, ac-
cept no principle but force and their
own interest. We cannot come TO
terms with them. They have made 1t
impossible. The German people must
by this time be fully aware that we
cannot accept the word OF those VINO
forced this war upon us. We do not
think the same thoughts or speak the
same language Of agreement.
No Compromise Peace
ct is of capital Importance that we
should also be explicitly agreed thai no
peace shall be obtained by any KIND OF
compromise or abatement OF the prlh-
ciples we have avowed as the principles
for which we are fighting. There snouId
exist no doubt about that. ! am there-
fore, going to take the liberty OF speak
ing with the utmost ABOUT
the practical implications tnst are III
VOWED in ii.
; az Il be indeed and in truth the COM
mon object of the governments 1850
ciated against Germany n OF tine ha.
lions whom they govern. as l beieNe 1t
"a he IN achieve by the coming set'le-
ment a secure and lasting peace. II VIII
he necessary that all who SIT DOWN a.
the peace table shall come ready anu
willing to pay the price. the only price,
that will procure il. and ready n VIM
inc also TO create in some virile tashioh
the only in~strumentality by which !.
can he made certain that the agreeuiei,s
of the peace will be honored ana ""
filed.
ru,artiol Justice Price Of feace
,.That nrice is impartial justice IN
every item of the settlement, no n'''t Nv
. whose interest is crossed ana NOT o"s
impartial justice, hut also the satislaN'
,ion of the several peoples whose iol-
tunes are death with. That ihoispe"-
sable fundamentally is a league OF no,
3, lions formed under covenants That VIII
ha eeicacious. without such an instru-
mentality by which the peace OF tue
world can be guaranteed. peace VIII rec,
I'm mart upon the word or outid"s ""u
only upon that word. For Germany WIZ
have 10 redeem her character, not v!
What bappeus at the peace table, put
by what follows. 90
And as I see it, the constitution OF
40, league of nations and the clear
deenition of it's objects must be a part,
10 In a sense the most ssentia part OF
he neace settlement itself. 1t cannot De
formed now, If associated against q
common enemy. It is not likely that II
could he formed after the settlement l.
is necessary to guarantee the peace anu
The peace cannot be guaranteed as az
a~fterthought. The reason. 10 sPeaN II
nlain terms, again, why II must DC suai
anteed is. that there will be parties u
The peace whose promises nave proNeo
untrustworthy, and means must VI
fo,nd in connection with the peace set
,Iar,ert itself to remove that source OF
insec,ritv. IL would be folly TO leave
,hs guarantee to the subsequent VOL
untarv action of the governments W.
have see destroy Russia and deceive
Rumania.
Practical Program Outlined
..pu. ,bese general terms do not dis
close the whole matter. some de'aiis
are needed to make them SOUND iesS
! like a thesis and more like a practical
program. These, then, are some OF the
particulars, and I state them Win the
greater confidence because 1 can sta,e
them authoritatively as representing this
" G~oyernment's Interpretation OF us owl
duty with regard to peace:
: "EYrst The impartial justice meteo
ont must involve no discrimination De,
tween those to whom We wish to be JUS
ana those to whom we do not wish &c
he inst. II must be a justice that plays
nofayorites and knows no standard pu'
the equal rights of the several peoples
concerned. =,
second. No special or separate IN
terest of any single nation or any grohI
of nations can be made the basis OF
anv part of the settlement which IL
not consistent with the common inter
ests Of all.
Third, There can be no leagues ol
alliances or special covenants and under
standings with the general com
MOI family of the league of nations.
Fourth And more specifically
there can he no special, selfish econom
combinations within the league and OF