The Washington herald., 1919-01-19


change of provinces between states.
as though peoples were but articles
of furniture or pawns in a game. The
time is no more when diplomats could
meet 10 redraw. with authority, the
map OF empires on the corner of a
table. If you are TO remake the map
of the world, it is in the name of the
peoples and on condition that you
shall faithfully interpret their thought
and respect the rights of nations, small
and great, to dispose of themselves
and to recognize the rights of minori-
ties-a formidable task, which science
and history, your two advisers, will
contribute to expedite and facilitate.
Justice for All Peoples.
You will naturally strive to Sc
cure the material and moral means
OF subsistence for all those people
who are constituted or reconstructed
into states; for those who wish to
unite themselves to their neighbor-
hood; for those who divide them
selves into separate units: for those
who reOrganize themselves to their
neighbors; for those who divide
gained traditions. and, lastly, for all
those whose freedom you have all
ready sanctioned. or are about to
sanction. You will not call them
into existence only to sentence them
to death Immediately. You would
like your work in this. as in all
other matters, TO be fruitful and
lasting
while thus introducing into the
world as much harmony as possible,
you will, in conformity with the
fourteenth of President Wilson's
propositions, unanimously adopted
by the allied powers, establish a
general league of nations which will
be supreme guarantee against any
fresh assault upon the right of peo-
pies.
You do not intend this interna-
tional association to be directed
against anybody in future. 1t will not
of set purpose shut out anybody. but
having been organized by the nations
that have sacrificed themselves in de-
fense of right, it will receive from
them its statutes and fundamental
rights. 1t will lay down conditions to
which its present or future members
must adhere. 1t must have its essen>
tial aim to prevent as far as possible
the removal of war. 1t will, above all
seek to gain respect for the peace
which you will have established. and
will find it the less difficult to main
tain in proportion as this peace will
in itself imply greater realities of
justice and safer guarantees of sta
bility.
= IL.
tings you will meet the aspirations of
humanity, which after the frightful
commissions of their blood-stained
years. ardently wishes 10 feel itself
protected by a union Of free people
against the ever possible revival of
primitive savagery
Germany ENDS in oblivion"
An immortal glory will attach to
the name of the nation and the men
who have desired to cooperate in
this grand work in faith and broth
crhOOd and who have taken pains 10
eliminate from the future peace.
causes of disturbance and IN
stability.
This very day, forty-eight years
ago on the 18th of January, 1871.
the German Empire was proclaimed
by an army of invasion in the
Chateau at Versailles. 1t was CeIe-
bratcd by the theft of two French
provinces. 1t was thus violated
from its origin and by the fault OF
its founders. born in injustice. it
has ended in Oblivion. You are as
sembled in order to repair the evil
that it has been done and to pre-
vent a recurrence of it. You hold
in your hands the future of the
world.
"a leave you, gentlemen, to your
grave deliberations and declare the
Conference of Paris open.
Our joining Germany would no
more thai make up for her loss of
Alsace-Lorraine, and democratic,
pacific German Austria would be a
strong counterpoise to any mill
taristic tendency in Germany. We
would guarantee that the junkers
would never again form the back
bone of the state.
We don't hate the peoples who sur
round us. We don't hate the Slavs
and the Italians and the Magyars.
We are in sympathy with their high
er aims and desire nothing so much
as friendly relations with them. And
we consider Wilson's program a bet
ter basis for friendship than estab-
lishnent of artificial relations which
might bring fresh conflicts.
''As far as the economic situation
is concerned, Austria needs the in
vestment of foreign capital. We pre-
fer American capital. Americans we
/ regard as the most sympathetic. Our
political and economic intentions, our
| resources and the fact that we are
ar Industrious people make Austria
rich investment, which should in
farcsf Ayporirupa