Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-01-16
PEACE PROGRAM
IS ANNOUNCED
BY PRESIDENT
Justice to All, No Conquest, VIII
son Declares in Address to
Congress.
IA DEMANDS BY AMERICA
Reparation to France for Taking Al
SAGE; Free Poland and Autonon'-
Gus States In Austria-Hunoary-
Evacuation Of All Russian Ter
ritory-Belgium Must Be
Freed.


ritory-BeIgium Must Be
Freed.
Washington. Jan, 9.-President VIII
son yesterday, addressing congress, de-
livered a restatement Of war aims In
agreement with the recent declaration
by the British premier. David Lloyd
George.
The president spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress: Once
more, as repeatedly before the spokes-
men of the central empires have indl-
Gated their desire TO discuss the OBJ
jects of the war and the possible basis
of general peace.
"Parleys have been in progress at
BrestLitovsk between representatives
Of the central powers 10 which the
attention of all the beligerents has
been invited, Tor the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether il may be possible TO
extend these parleys into a general
conference with regard TO terms Of
peace and settlement.
Presented Definite Statement
The Russian representatives. pre-
sented not only perfectly definl-e
statement Of the principles upon whiet
they would be willing TO conclude
peace, but also an equally definite pro-
gram of the concrete application of
those principles
The fs4 8xses - 4l,, ,a.,t sol
powers. ou their part presented an
outline Of settlement which. if much
less definite seemed susceptible Of lib
eral Interpretation until their specific
program of practical terms wea added.
The program proposed no conces-
sions at a'!, either 20 sovereignty Of
Russia or to the preferences of the
population with whose fortunes It
dealt, but meant. ia q word. that the
central empires We're to keep every
foot of territory their armed forces had
Occupied-every province, every city.
every point Of vantage--as q perma-
nent addition tO their territories and
their power. II is ii reasonable cen
lecture that the general principles Of
settlement which they MT first suggest
eel originated with the more liberal
statesmen Of Germany and Austria,
the men who have begun 20 feel the
force Of their own peoples thought
and purpose while the concrete terms
Of actual settlement came from the
military leaders, who have no thought
but 20 keep what they have got The
negotiations have been broken of.
Full Of Significance.
''l'he Russian representatives were
sincere and ia earnest They cannot
entertain such proposals Of conquest
and domination.
The whole incident is full Of sig
niticance. II Is also full Of perplexity.
With whom are the Russian represent
atives dealing? For whom are the rep
resentativcs G: the central empires
speaking? Are they speaking for the
maj0ritles Of their respective parlia-
ments or for the minority parties, that
military aud imperiallstlc minority
which has 50 far dominated their
policy and controlled the affairs Of
Turkey aud Of the Balkan states which
have felt obliged 10 become their asso-
ciates IN this war?
"The Russian representatives. have
insisted. very justly. very wisely. and
in the true spirit of democracy that
the conferences they have been mold
ing with the Teutonic and Turkish
statesmen should he held within omen
not closed, doors. mud all the world has
been audience as was desired. To
whom have we been listegIng then?
To those who speak the spirit and in
tentiOn Of the resolutions of the Ger.
man reichStag on the 9th Of july last
the spirit and Intention Of the liberal
leaders and parties Of Germany. or to
those who resist and defy that spirit
and intention and Insist upon conquest
and subjugation? or are we listening
In fact Ia both unreconclled and in
open and hopeless contradiction
These are very serious and pregnant
questions.
World Peace at Stake.
Upon ihe answer 10 them depends
the peace OF the world.
but wherever The results OF the t,r.
legs at Brest Litovsk, whatever the
confusl0hs of coaasel ana of purpose
in the utterances of the Spokesman of
the central empires, .bey have again
attempted to acquaint ire world with
their objects in the war and have
again challenged their adverSaries Ia
say what their objects are and what
sort OF settlement they would deem
just and satisfactory
There is no good reason why that
challenge should not be responded to
and responded TO with the utmost can
dor. We did not wait for II. Not once
but again and again We have Ias,i cur
whole thought and purpos. refore the
world. not in general terms only, but
each time with sufficient definition IN
make it clear what sort of definitlyp
terms Of settlement must necessarily
spring out of them.
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