The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-02-15
NO TURNING ASIDE,
President Addresses Congress to Clear Atmos-
/. phere of Any Confusion After Speeches OF
Teuton Premiers.

| IN the SeCClemenC Ol every lSSuS any
where involved in it because what
we can all unite to guarantee and
maintain and every item of it must
be submitted to the common judg-
ment whether it be right and fair;
an act of justice rather than a bar
gain between sovereigns."
The statement was made in high
official quarters that the Entente Al
lies were not consulted by President
Wilson in preparation of his address
nor was it even made known to
them that it was to be delivered.
However, it was pointed out this fact
was not to be taken as Indicating
any lack of unity of purpose and
aims between the belligerents, as
nowhere in his address did the Pres
ident depart from any of the princi-
Piles he has laid down in common
with the British, French and Italian
premiers in their preceding public
utterances regarding war aims.
Diplomats Taking Note.
Diplomats of the older school are
watching with keen interest the eek
ira official negotiations" which de-
part so radically from all of the an
cient and accepted practices of di-
plomacy. They point out that peace
negotiations on a great scale actu-
ally are going. on only instead of be-
ing conducted in the secrecy of the
round table conference, which was
the aim of the Central Powers in
the early stages of the war, the
great issues now are being expound-
ed and critically analyzed in the
light of publicity and the worlds
forum.
President Wilson himself today
seemed to recognize and call atten-
tion to the fact when he inquired,
'Is Count Won Hertling not aware
that he is speaking in the court of
mankind, that all the awakened ma
tions of the world now sit in judg-
ment on what every public man of
whatever nation may say on the is
sue of the conflict which has spread
every region of the world?"
AS has been done in the past the
Presidents speech today was prompt
ly cabled to all the principal capitals
of the world for telegraphic distri-
button.
Presidents Address.
President Wilson spoke as follows
Gentlemen of the Congress:
One the eighth of January I had
the honor of addressing you on the
objects of the war as our people
conceive them. The prime minister
of Great Britain had spoken in SINH
lar terms on the fifth of January.
To these addresses the Germn chan
cellor replied on the oath and Count
Czernin-for Austria on the same day
1t is gratifying to have our desire
so promptly realized that all ex-
changes of view on this great matter
should be made in the hearing of all
the world.
Count Czernin's reply, which is
directed chiefly to my own address
of the eigth of January, is uttered
in very friendly tone. He finds in
SIdGCISuI q
aging approach to the views of his
own government to justify him in
believing that it furnishes a basis
for more detailed discussion of
purposes by the two governments.
He is reported to have intimated that
the views he was expressing had
been communicated to me before
hand and that I was aware of them
at the time he was uttering them
but in this I am sure he was misun-
derstood. I had received no intima-
ton of what he intended to say
There was, of course, no reason why
he should communicate privately
with me. I am quite content to be
one of his public audience.
German Reply Vgue.