The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-01-18


obtaining for her an unhampered and |
unembarrassed opportunity for the in
dependent determination of her own |
political development and national
policy and assure her of a sincere wel' |
come into the society of free nations
under Institutions of her own choos-
| ing and, more than welcome, assist |
ance also of every kind that she may |
need and may herself desire. The
treatment accorded Russia by her sis
ter nations in the months to come will
be the acid test Of their good will, OF
their comprehension of her needs as
distinguished from their own interests
and their intelligent and unselfish
sympathy.
Z. Belgium, the whole world will
agree, must be evacuated and restored,
without any attempt to limit the SOW
ereignty which she enjoys in common
with all other free nations. No other
single act will serve as this will servo
to restore confidence among the MAJ
lions in the laws which they have
themselves set and determined for the
government of their relations with one
another. Without this healing act
the whole structure and validity of in
ternational law is forever impaired.
s. All French territory should be
freed and the invaded portions restored
and the wrong done to France by Prus'
STA in 1871 in the matter Of Alsace
. Lorraine, which has unsettled thu
peace of the world for nearly fifty
years, should be righted, in order that
peace may once more be made secure
! in the interest of all.
8. A reimbursement of the frontiers
of Italy should be affected along clear
: ly recognizable lines of nationality.
!, 10. The peoples of Austria-Hungary
: whose place among the nations we
wish to see safeguarded and assured,
; should be accorded the freest Oppor-
tunity of autonomous development.
= IL. Rumania, Serbia and Montene-
: gro should be evacuated; occupied ter
/ ritories restored; Serbia accorded free
and secure access to the sea, and
4 the relations of the several Balkan
= states to one another determined by
il friendly counsel along historically es-
tablished lines of allegiance and ma
4 tionality; and international guarantees
of the political and economic independ-
ence and territorial integrity of the
several Balkan states should be en-
y tered into.
Q II. The Turkish portions of the
d present Ottoman empire should be as
1t sured secure sovereignty, but the
IL other nationalities which are now un
70 der Turkish rule should be assured al
NJ undoubted security of life and an alb
{, solutely unmolested opportunity o
= autonomous development, and tn
= Dardanelles should be permanent,
ut opened as free passage to the ship
re and commerce of all nations under IL
Id ternational guarantees.
lit 10. An independent Polish stat
oa should be erected, which should in
n clude the territories inhabited by indis
i putably Polish populations, whicl
should be assured a free and secur
~ access to the sea and whose politica
y and economic independence and terri
ed torial integrity should be guarantee,
ne by international covenant.
ar IA. A general association of nation
50 must be formed under specific cove
ya nants for the purpose of affording mu
- tual guarantees of political independ
= ence and territorial integrity TO grea
and small states alike.
NJ All Stand Together.
Nv SIN regard to these essential rect
IL fications of wrong and assertions c
right we feel ourselves to be intimat
partners of all the governments an
To- peoples associated together against tn
Oh imperialists. We cannot be separate
no in interest or divided in purpose. w
= stand together until the end.
For such arrangement and GOV,
~ nants we are willing to fight and i
re- continue to fight until they al
his achieved; but only because we wis
to the right to prevail and desire jul
be and stable peace such as can be S
mr. cured only by removing the chief pro
,rv ocations to war, which this proglal
~ does remove. We have no jealousy
~ German greatness and there is not
~ ing in this program that impairs it. W
US grudge her no achievement or dlstin
he ton of learning or of pacific ente
1st prise such as have made her recol
he very bright and very enviable. We
rt- not wish to injure her or to block
wn any way her legitimate influence
,ss power. We do not wish to tight he
either with arms or WITH nOSIlle
io' rangements of trade, If she is willil
to associate herself with us and Il
other peace-loving nations of the wor
ce, in covenants of justice and law 81
hat fair dealing. We wish her only TO q
as cept a place of equality among q
peoples of the world-the new wor
nv. in which we now live-instead of
~ place of mastery.
Principle of Justice.
~, Neither do we presume to sugge
iaii to her any alteration or moditicati
up- of her institutions. But it is nect
sary, we must frankly say, and nect
ion sary as a preliminary TO any intel
rial gent dealings with her on our pa
ex that we should know whom b
,ola sp1kesmen speak for when they sre
for to us, whether for the retchstag n
iority or fEr the military party a
W. tho men whose creed is imperial dor