The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-07-05
There Can Be Peace.

WASHINGTON, July president
Wilson yesterday answered all feelers
for a compromise peace with a new and
unqualified conservation of America to
the struggle for cleaning military autoc
racy from the earth.
In an independence day gathering on
the gentle slopes of Mount Vernon. home
and tomb Of George Washington and
surrounded by scenes which looked upon
the creation of this nation, the President
addressed small gathering of officials
and of diplomats of the allied nations.
But he spoke to the world and he
spoke the logical sequel to his force
without stint or limit" declaration of
several weeks ago. Unresewedly, the
President declared that there could be no
thought of a peace which did not mean
the destruction OF military autocracy or
its reduction to virtual impotence.
"A reign of law, based on the consent
Of the governed and sustained by the or
gained opinion of mankind" was the
way he summarized in a single sentence
the objects of humanity in the world
war
Whether the President was addressing
his remarks directly to the recent speeel
of German foreign secretary, Won kuehl
mama; or to the foreshadows of Il re
newed German peace offensive, or wheth
er he merely took the occasion of tn,
celebration of American independence &
emphasize to the world the war aims O
the nation can only be diviaed. He die
not deal with the progress of the war o
any particular phase of it, but he spok
eloquently of Americas attitude towart
Germanys so-called peace treaties in tn
east by grouping the peoples of Russi;
for the moment unorganlzed and help
less" among the peoples of the worlt
standing against the enemies of liberty.
'''rhe past and the present arc r
deadly grapple and the peoples of tn
, world are being done to death betwee
them" said President Wilson ''Ther
, can be but one issue. The settlemen
must be final. There can be no comprC
mise No halfway decision would be To
cradle No halfway decision is conceiH
: able These are the ends for which tn
associated peoples of the world are fight
. ing and which must be conceded thel
before there can be peace.
"One-The destruction of every arb
+, trary power anywhere that can separat,
: ~, secretly. and of its single choice di
: tmb the peace of the world; or if it cal
mot be presently destroyed at the lea
> its reduction to virtual impotence.
E '.Second-The settlement of even
f question whether of territory, OF sove
= eighty, or economic arrangement, or
political relationship upon the basis
the free acceptance of that settlemel
: by the people Immediately concerned al
II not upon the basis of the material int
Y est or advantage of any other nation
z people which may desire a different Sc
|. Element for the sake of its own exteri
IS influence or mastery.
- ''ThiTd-The consent of all nations
be governed in their conduct iowa
each other by the same principles of no
or and of respect for the common law
Lg civilized society that govern the -indiTi
10 ual citizens of all modern states in the
relations with one another; to the e
that all promises and covenants may
sacredly observed, no private plots
conspiracies Matched. no selfish injuri
wrought with impunity and a mutu
trust established upon the handsoi
4 foundation of a mutual respect for rigI
"Fourth-The establishment of an
/ ganization of peace which shall make
] certain that the combined power of fl
| nations viii check every invasion
| right and serve to make peace and just
1 the more secure by afIording defn
tribunal of opinion to which all mn
submit and by which every information
readiustment that cannot be amical
Iagreed upon by the peoples directly c,
u cerned shall be sanctioned.
= These great objects can be put int,
=. single sentence What we seek is
n reign of law, based upon the consent
/ the governed and sustained by the org
Il lied opinion of mankind.
II These great ends cannot be achie'
by debating and seeking to reconcile {
accommodate what statesmen may w
II with their projects for balances Of POI
and of national opportunity. They
be realized only by the determination
what the thinking peoples of the We
II desire, with their longing hope for
tice and for social freedom and oppol