The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1918-01-17
PRESIDENT WILSON
GIVES FINAL PLANS
DEFINITE TERMS ENUMERATED
BY WHICH ENEMY CAN END
GREAT WORLD STRUGGLE.
ABSOLUTELY UP TO KAISER
President Wilson Takes Capital and
Congress by Complete Surprise
When He Calls Joint Session
and Delivers Peace Message.

ana Delivers reace message
Washington-In terms specific and
questionable, President Wilson stip-
ulated. before joint session of con-
gress, the aims for which America Is
now fighting. This country, he said,
will continue the struggle until these
ARE achieved.
It was the compelling voice OF
the Russian people, asking defini.
ton of Americas principles and pur-
pose,' that prompted the president to
go before congress. 1t was largely to
Russia that his speech was directed.
He struck out at the sinister &C
tivities of the German rulers, de-
tiations and treaties, and held RESP
lutte to his stand for territorial adj
justments that will insure peace.
Immediate attention was called to
the fact-and it's significance
the president did not include elimina-
ton Of the Hohenzollern dynasty as
a war, aim. But he laid down en-
phatically the necessity Of all future
treaties and agreements being made
In the open.
The presidents address, following
closely on the heels of Lloyd Georges
statement of England's war aims, con-
veys the unquestionable thought that
he believes peace may be drawing
nearer.
He outlined IA terms-and each
was met by prolonged applause from
the legislators.
To realize this embodiment of Gus
tice to all peoples and nationalities"
that may live on equal terms of lib
erty and safety with one another,
whether they be strong or weak" the
president said the American people
will devote their lives and honor"
unless this principle be made it's
foundation, no part of the structure
Of international justice can stand"
the president concluded.
The presidents message follows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress:
Once more, as repeatedly before. the
Indicated their desire to discuss the OBJ
jects of the war and the possible basis
OF a general peace.
Parleys have been in progress at Brest
Litovsk between Russian representa-
tiveS and representatives of the central
powers to which the attention of all the
beQigerents have been invited for the
purpose of .ascertaining whether 1t may
be possible to extend the parleys into
a. general conference with regard to
terms of peace and settlement. The
Russian representatives presented not
only a perfectly definite statement Of
the. principles upon which they would
be willing to conclude peace. but also
an. equally definite program of the con-
representatives of tho central powers, on
their part, presented an outline of set
tlement, which, if much less definite,
seemed susceptible of liberal interpreted
ton until their specific program of prac-
tical terms was added
No Concessions at All.
That program proposed no concessions
at ALL either to the sovereignty of Rus
. STA or to the reference of the popula-
tions with whose fortunes it dealt. but
meant, in a word, that the. central en-
tory their armed forces had occupied.
every province, every city every point
of vantage-as a permanent addition 10
their territories and their power. 1t is
a reasonable conjecture that the gen
eral principles of settlement which they
at first suggested originated with the
more liberal statesmen of Germany ana
Austria, the men who have begun to feel
the force of their own peoples thought
and purpose, while the concrete terms OF
actual settlement came from the milf
tary leaders who have no thought but
to keep what they have got. The ne
sotiations have been broken off, Inc
Russian representatives were sincere
and in earnest. They cannot entertain
such proposals of conquest and domin-
The whole incident is full of signifi-
cance 1t is also full OF perplexity. With
whom are the Russian representatives
dealing? For whom are the representa-
tives of the central empires speaking:
Are they speaking for the majorities OF
minority parties, that military and inn
perialistic minority party which has so
far designated their whole policy and
controlled the affairs Of ., Turkey and fs 81
obliged to become their associates in
this war?
The Russian representatives have in
sisted, very justly, very wisely. and in
the true spirit of modern democracy,
that the conferences they have been
holding with the Teutonic and Turkish
statesmen should be held with open. not
closed, doors, and with the whole world
as an audience was desired.
To whom have we been listening
those who speak the spirit and inten-
ton of the resolutions of the German
reichstag of the 9Th of July, last, the
spirit and intention of the liberal lead
ers and parties of Germany, or to those
who resist and defy that spirit ana in
tention. and insist upon conquest and
subiugation? Or are we listening, in
fact, to both, unreconciled and In open
and hopeless contradiction! These are
very serious and pregnant uestions. Upon
the answer to them depends the peace
of the world.
But, whatever the results of tho par
1eys at Brest Litovsk, whatever the con-
fusionss of counsel and of purpose in the
,Itterances of the spokesman of the CEN
trail empires, they have again attempted
to acquaint the world with their objects
in the war. and have again challenged
their adyersaries to say what sort of set
tlement they would deem just and salts
factory There Is ne good n reason snon why
to. and responded to with. the. utmost
sHave Told Purposes.
Not once but again and again, have
we laid our whole thought and purpose
before the world, not in general terms
only. but each time with sufficient defi--
milton to make it clear what sort OF
definitiye terms of settlement must nee
1 assarily spring out of them. Within the
last week Mr.. Lloyd George has spoken
with admirable candor. ana. In admira-
1 HE spirit, for the people and govern
ment of Great Britain. There Is no con-
fusion of counsel among the adversaries
of the central powers, no uncertainty OF
only secrecy of counsel. the only lack
Of fearless frankness, the only failure
to make definite statements OF the OBJ
jects Of the war lies WILD ,se efm ma da ana
hang upon these definitions
No statesman who has the least con-
ception Of his responsalilit,y 4ugnf an TOR
this tragical and appalling outpouring, OF
blood and treasure, unless he Is sure be-
.,,n,,d q neradyenture that the objects of
iha vital sacrifice are part and parcel of
the very life OF society, and that the peo-
ple for wnom he speaks think them right
and imperative, as ne does.
Call for Definitions.
There is, moreover, ga voice calling for
fbasa definitions of principle and of pur-
pose. which. It SCENT to me. are more
. "a moving voices with which the
troubled air Of the wffrld e filled 4 i y