Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-11-03
CHAPTER XVIII.
French War Aims and tho Fourteen
Dn1n%e

The war lasted and grew greater.
Each passing hour emphasized and con-
flrmed it's original character. The
breath Of liberty passes everywhere.
For half century Alsace 4 Lorraine
had been the symbol and the flaming
torch of the oppressed From east
TO west all who believed in the liberia
ton OF the oppressed and in the right
OF people to self-determination rallied
to the echoes of the Marne and OF
Verdun. As time passed the circle Of
our supporters widened And then came
the democracy Of the United States.
When she entered the struggle. her
war aims were indefinite but in few
weeks she too understood and had
clear conception of what she was fight
ing for. From the Atlantic to the Pa
ciflc the word went forth. We are go
ing to fight in Europe Against what?
Against antocracy and militarism. For
what! For justice and the. liberty Of
nations. Words. mere words. answer
the reallsts. Yes. mere words. but
words for which millions OF soldiers
stand ready to die. Words which are
living force. Words which from France
have spread to the new world and have
mobllized the hearts of the people
without which there can be no mill
tary mobilization in a democracy. We
were fighting for our ideal and for our
frontier: America had no frontier to |
aefend but she adopted our ideal and
made it hers.
That is why-be it pleasing or not
Z = cause tor congratulation or regret
the war of 1914 had meaning and an |
aim of it's own before any government
had made declaration. From the
First day of the German aggression. il
was war Of peopies and of national-
les. a war for popular and national
ights. Such it remained to the very
Brands Reply
Ihe first of these declarations dates
rom the thirtieth of December. 1916.
is handed in the name of all the 7
llles to the American ambassador by
u. Arlst'de BRAND in reply to Ger
M nan note transmitted BY the neHtrals.
What does it contain First of. 1.-the
rlnclpie that the allied governments
re united for the defense Of the liber
lMes M OF peoples Then the assertion
NO peace is possible until assurances
re given that reparations will be made
or the. rights and liberties that have
cen violated: that the principles OF
atlonality and OF freedom Of small
ettlement definitely eliminating the ,
auses that have SO long menaced the
ations. establishes the only effective
narantee for the worlds SAFETY The
ghts of peoples. reparations, League
Nations,-such is the allies reply in
Tree lines.
The second declaration was on the
nth Of January. 1917. Again it is
note handed in the name Of all the Il
lies to the American ambassador by {
r. Aristide BRAND in reply to ques- .
On of President Wilson. The priuci- :
. is the same, but it is defined in
eater detail.
The Peace Principle 8
!. Restoration Of Belgium. Serbia
I'd Montenegro and of the damages !.
ey have sustained. .f :
=. Evacuation of the invaded ter. !.
tory of France. Russia and Rou- =
ania with full reparations. Y. '
8. Reorganization Of Europe, guar "
teed by stable regime. based upon u
g respect of nationality and the J.
mt OF all peoples, great and small. I:
pursue pr their economic development = =
full security and upon territorial q
d international conventions si,ar- p
teeing land and sea frontiers
einst ur1warranted aggression. +
4. Restitution Of provinces or ter. lo
ories previously taken from the q.
ies Dy,. force or against the will Il
8. Liberation Of Italians, Slays.
and Cxscho- -Slovaks from
'eign domination. = II
). Liberation Of the population sub n
ted to the bloody tyranny Of the n.
rka; rejection out Of Europe 6f the HI
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