The sun., 1918-02-12

does he deliberately ignore them?
They spoke Of the conditions Of a
general peace. not Of national ag-
grandixement or Of arrangements
between State and State. The peacs
Of the world depends upon the just
settlement Of each Of the several
problems to which I adverted In my
recent address to the Congress. I.
Of course. do not mean the peace Ut
the world depends upon the accept
ance of any particular set Of sug-
gestions as to the way In which those
problems are to be dealt with.
mean only that those pro-
blems. each and all. affect the
whole world: that unless they
are dealt with in . spirit Of
unselish and unbiased Justice.
with . view to the wishes, the
natural connections. the racial aspi-
rations. the security and peace Of
mind Of the peoples involved. no per-
manent peace will have been at
tained. They cannot be discussed
separately or In corners. None Of
them constitutes . private or sepa-
rate interest from which the opin.
ion Of the world may b shut out.
Whatever affects the peace affects
mankind. and nothing, settled by
military force, II settled wrong, Is
settled At all. 1t will presently have
to BE- reopened.
he IL speaking in the court Of man
kind, that all the awakened nations
Of the world now sit in judgment on
what every public man. OF whatever
nation. may say on the issues Of q
conflict which has spread to every
region Of the world? The Reichs.
tag resolutions Of July themselves
frankly accepted the decisions Of
that court. There shall be no an
nexations. no contributions. no punt
tive damages. Peoples are not to
be handed about from one SOW
ereignty to another by an interna.
tional conference or an understand
ing between rivals and antagonists.
National aspirations must be re-
spected: peoples may now be domi-
mated and governed only by their
own consent.
"Seif-detsrminatio IL not mere
phrase. It Is an imperative prin-
cipls Of action, which statesmen will
henOeosth ignore at THAR peril. We
cannot have general peaee for the
asking or by themsrs arraqGements
Of / peace conference. II cannot b
pieced together out Of individual un-
derstandings between powerful
States. All the parties to this war
must join in the settlement Of every
issue anyhere involved In 1t. be-
cause what we are seeking Is a
peace we can all unite to guarantee
and maintain. and every item Of It
must be submitted to the common
Judgment whether It be right and
fair, an act Of Justice. rather than a
bargain between sovereigns.
Does Not Seek TO Act ~ APbiter.
The United States has no desire to
interfere in European Affairs or to
act as arbiter in European terrific
rial disputes. We would disdain to
take advantage OF any internal
weakness or disorder to impose her
own will upon another people. She
10 quite ready to be shown the set
Elements she has suggested are not
the best or the most enduring. They
are only her own provisional sketch
Of principles. and Of the way In
which they should be applied.
But she entered this war because
she was made q partner. whether
she would or not. in the sufferings
and indignities inflicted by the mill
tary masters OF Germany. against
the peace and security Of mankind;
and the conditions Of peace will
touch her a. nearly "a they will
touch any other nation to which Is
entrusted . leading part in the
maintenance Of civilization. She
cannot see her way to peace until
the causes Of this war are removed.
its renewal rendered. as nearly as
may be. impossible.
This war had its roots In tbe dis
regard Of the rights Of small Nations
and Of nAtionalities which lacked
the union and the force to make
good their claim to determine their
own allegiances and their own forms
Of political life. Covenants must
now b entered into which will render
such things impossible for the
future: and those covenants must be
backed by the united force Of all the
nations that love Justice and are
willing to maintain It at any cost.
Takes % Eeenooic Question:.
II territorial settlements and the
Political relations Of great popula-
tons which have not tho organized
power to resist are to be determined
by the contracts Of the powerful
Governments which consider them
selves most directly affected. a.
Count Won Hertling proposes. why
may not economic, questions alsof
II has come about In the altered
world In which We now find our
selves that Justice and the rights Of
peoples affect the whole field Of in
tsrnational dealing - much - ac-
cass to raw materials and fair and
equal conditions Of trade.
Count Won Hsrtling wants the e.
ssntial bases Of commercial and In.
dustrial life to b sa3eguarded BY
common agreement ana guarantee.
but he cannot expect that to be con-
ceded him II the other questions to
b determined by the articles u
peace ars\not handled in the same
way a. items In the ANAL accounting.
He cannot eek the benefit OF com.
mon agreement In the one hsld
without according Il In the other. ]
take It for granted he ssss that
separate and seihsh compacts with
regard 20 trade and Tho essential