The state herald., 1918-02-15

t1al basss Of commercial and industrial
life to be safsguArded by common
agreement and guarantee. but he can.
not expect that TO be conceded him II
the other matters to be determined by
the articles Of peace are not handled
In tho same way ~ items In the final
accounting. He cannot ask the bene-
1T Of common agreement In the one
field without according 1t In the other.
take It for granted that he sees
that separate and selfish compacts
with regard to trade and the essential
materials Of manufacture would afford
no foundation for peace. Neither. he
may rest assured, will separate and
selfish compacts with regard to prov
inces and people.
Count Cxernin seems to see the fun
damental elements of peace with clear
eyes and does not seek to obscure
them. He secs that an Independent
Poland, made up Of all the indisput-
ably Polish peoples who lie contiguous
to one another. 10 matter Of Euro
pean concern and must Of course be
conceded; that Belgium must be evac-
uated and restored. no matter what
sacrifices and concessions that may
involve: and that national aspirations
must be satisfied, even within his own
empire. in the common interest Of Eu-
rope and mankind.
II he 10 silent about questions which
touch the interest and purpose Of his
allies more nearly than they touch
those Of Austria only, 1t must. Of
course. be because he feels con-
strained, suppose, to defer to Ger
many and Turkey in the circum-
stances. Seeing and conceding, as he
does. the essential principles involved
and the necessity Of candidly applying
them. he naturally feels that Austria
can respond to the purpose Of peace as
expressed by the United States with
less embarrassment than could Ger
many. He would probably have gone
much farther had 1t not been for the
embarrassments Of Austria's alliances
and of her dependence on Germany.
Simple Tests Easily Applied.
After all, the test Of whether It is
possible for either government to 20
any further In this comparison of
views Ia simple and obvious. The prin-
ciples to be applied are these:
First. that each part OF the final set.
tlement must be based upon the es-
sential Justice Of that particular cause
and upon such adjustments as are
most likely to bring a peace that will
be permanent.
Second. that peoples and provinces
are not to be bartered about from
sovereignty to sovereignty as II 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 and for the benefit OF the
populations concerned and not as a
part Of any mere adjustment or com.
promise Of claims amongst rival
states; and.
Fourth. that all well-defined nation.
al aspirations shall be accorded the
utmost satisfaction that can be &C
corded them without introducing new
or perpetuGting old elements OF dis
cord and antagonism that would be
likely in time to break the peace OF
Europe and consequently of the world
general peace erected on such
foundations can be discussed. Until
such q peace can be secured we have
no choice but to 20 on.
30 far as we can Judge these prlp
ciples that we regard as fundamental
are already everywhere accepted as
imperative except among the spokes.
men OF the military and annexation.
list party In Germany. II they have
anywhere else been rejected. the OBJ
1eetors have not been sufficiently
numerous or Influential to make their
voices audible. The tragical circum
stance IL that this one party in Ger
many IL apparently willing and able to
send millions Of men TO their death TO
prevent what all the world now sees
to Be- Just.
America Must Never Turn Back.
l would not be a true spokesman of
the people Of the United States II !
did not say once more that we entered
this war upon no small occasion and
that We never can turn back from a
course chosen upon principle. Our re
sources are In part mobIlized now and
we shall not pause until they are mo
bilised in their entirety.
Our armies are rapidly going TO the
fighting front and will 70 more and
more rapidly. Our whole strength will
be put into this war Of emancIpat tlon
emancipation from the threat and
attempted mastery Of selfish groups OF
autocratic rulers-whatcver the diff
culties and present partial delays. We
arc indomitable In our power OF inde
pendent action and can in no circum
stances consent to live in q world
governed by intrigue and force.
We bolieve that our own desire for
. new international order under which
reason and Justice and the common
interests Of mankind shall prevail IL
the desire Of enlightened men every.
where. without that new order the
world will be without peace and hu.
man life will lack tolerable conditions
OF existence and development. Having
set our hand to the task Of achieving
II wa Nhail mt turn hark