The Monticellonian., 1918-02-22


 ists. National aspirations must be respected. peoples may now be domi- hated and governed only by their own 1 consent
 'Self-determination' is not a mere l phrase, it Is an imperative principle of action. which statesmen will hence forth ignore at their peril. We cannot have general peace for the asking or 1 by the mere arrangement of peace conference. It cannot be pieced to- gether out of individual understand ings between powerful states.
 All Parties Must Join.
 All the parties to this war must join in the settlement of every issue anywhere involved in it, because what we are seeking is peace that we can all unite 10 guarantee and maintain and every item of it must be submit ted to the common judgment whether it be right or fair, an act of justice rather than a bargain between soy- ereigns
 "The United States has no desire to interfere iH European affairs or to act as arbiter in European territorial dis putes. She would disdain to take ad- vantage of any internal weakness or disorder to impose her own will upon another people. She is quite ready to be shown that the settlements she has suggested are not the best or the most enduring They are only her own pro- visional sketch of principles and of the way in which they should be ap- piled.
 But she entered this war because she was made Il partner, whether she would or not. in the sufferings and in- dignities inflicted by the military mas ters of Germany, against the peace and security of mankind, and the con- dittons of peace will touch her as near ly as they will touch any other nation to which is intrusted leading part in the maintenance of civilization. She cannot see her way to peace until the causes of this war are removed, it's re- newal rendered as nearly as may be im- possible.
 Rights of Weak Disregarded.
 .The war had its roots in the disre- gard 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 be entered into which will render such things inn possible for the future; and those GOV enants must be backed by the united force Of all the nations that love just ice and are willing to maintain it at any cost. If territorial settlements and the political relations of great populations which have not the organ tzed power to resist are to be deter mined by the contracts of the power ful governments which consider them- selves most directly affected, as Count von Hertling proposes. why may not economic qaestiones also? It has come about in the altered world in which We now find ourselves that justice and the rights of peoples affect the whole field of international dealing us much as access to raw materials and fair and equal conditions of trade.
 Count von Hertling wants the es- sential bases of commercial and indus trial life to be safeguarded by common agreement and guaranty, but he cannot expect that to be conceded him If the other matters to be determined by the articles of peace are not handled in the same way as items in the final ae- counting.
 Separate Facts Barrier.
 He cannot ask the benefit of com mon agreement in the one field with out according it in the other. take 1t for granted that he sees that sep arate and selfish compacts with regard to trade and the essential materials of manufacture would afford no founda- ton for peace. Neither, he may rest assured, will separate and selfish com pacts with regard to provinces and peoples.
 Count Czernin seems to see the fundamental clements of peace with clear eyes and does not seek to obscure them. He sees that an independent Poland. made up of all the indisputa- bly Polish peoples who lie contiguous to one another, is a matter of Euro pea concern. and must, of course, be conceded that Belgium must be evac- uated and restored, no matter what sacrifices and concessions that may in- volve, and that national aspirations must be satisfied even within his own empire in the common interest of Flu rope and mantSnd. If he is silent about questions which touch the inter est and purpose of his allies more nearly than they touch those of Aus tria only it must of course be because he feels constrained, suppose, to de | fer to Germany and Turkey in the cir eumstances.
 Seeing and conceding as he does the essential principles involved ant | the necessity of candidly applying them. he naturally feels that Austria can respond to the purpose of peace as expressed by the United States with less embarrassment than coulC Germany. He would probably hay, | gone much further had it not been fol the endorsements of Austria's alli anees and of her dependence upon Ger many.
 After all. the test of whether it i! possible for either government to e l any further in this comparison O views is simple and obvious.
 Principles Approved.
 The principles to be applied ar 1 these.