Show r WILSON OfFERS OLIVE E BRANCH I t I J TO AUSTRIA It I PEACE REPLY I i I r. r President nt Lays Down Basis I fo for Peace Negotiations in Remarkable Address WORLD PEACE AT STAKE KE Final Settlement Must be Based Upon Justice and Peoples and Provinces are Not to be Bartered About as Pawns in a Game Washington AustrIa Washington Austria has been in- in kited to to further discussion of peace with the United States In a a remarkable le address to congress In joint session on February 11 President dent ent Wilson laid down the basis for fors such ch negotiations s Austria lie said seeing and conceding the essential y principles involved and the necessity t of candidly applying them can respond to the purpose of peace pence as expressed ssell by the United States with less embar- embar i ent than could Germany The presidents president's speech follows G Gentlemen of the Congress On the eighth of January I T had 5 the honor of addressing you on the objects objects objects ob ob- of the tIle war as our people conceive conceive con con- eive them The prime minister of Great Britain had had spoken in similar terms on the fifth of January To these addresses the German chancellor replied replied re re- plied on the 2 and Count Czernin for on the same day da- y It Itis is gratifying ing to have our desire so promptly realized that all exchanges of views ws on this great matter should be made in the l hearing earing of all rill the world Cz Reply Friendly In Tone c Count C Czernin's reply which is directed chiefly t to myown my own address on Oll the eighth of January is uttered red in a avery avery tp 5 very friendly tone He finds In m my statement a sufficiently encouraging approach to the views of his own gov- gov nt to justify him in believing that It It furnishes a basis for a more detailed m discussion of purposes by t the e t two to o gov gOY He is represented to have Intimated that the views he was expressing ex expressing ex- ex pressing had been communicated to me me b beforehand forehand and that I was aware of them at the time he was uttering them h m i 1 but in this I am sure he was wasi i misunderstood I had received ed no intimation inti inti- mation of what he intended to say where There here was of course no reason why s he should communicate privately witha with a me the I am quite content to be one of his public audience Count von Hertling's reply is I mu must t tsay say very vague and very confusing 5 It is full of equivocal phrases and leads it is not clear where But it Is ty- ty certainly in a very different tone from that of Count Czernin and apparently pf an opposite purpose It confirms I am sorry to say rather than titan removes removes es the unfortunate impression made b by what he had learned of the conferences at r Brest LItov sk His discussion and acceptance of our gen general ral principles lead him to no practical conclusions He refuses to apply them to the substantive sub sub- substantive items which must constitute the body of any final settlement lier lIeIs lie lieIs r r Is je jealous lOus of international al action andr and bf Of International counsel He accepts x he says the principle of public diplomacy diplo diplomacy macy but he appears to insist that It It s rate in this case be confined at any to generalities and that the several k particular questions of territory and sovereignty nt the several que questions upon whose settlement must depend the acceptance acceptance acceptance ac ac- of peace pence by the twenty throe states now engaged in the he war must be discussed and settled not In genera general general gen gen- era eral council but severally by the narS' narS nations nations na na- rS' rS S most imI immediately concerned by interest or nei neighborhood Peace of World at Stake He agrees that the seas should bey be befree y free but looks askance at any limitation limita limita- s tion to that freedom by international action in the interest of the common order lIe He would without reserve be glad to fo see economic barriers removed between nation and nation for that 4 c could uld In no way way impede the ambitions of the military party with whom he hek k seems constrained to keep on en terms Neither does he he- lie raise objection to a limitation of armaments That matter matter matter mat mat- ter will be settled of itself he thinks by the economic conditions which h must follow the war But th the German colonies he demands de doo mands mantis must be he returned rl without d de de- bate He will discuss with no one but hut c the representatives of Russia what disposition shall be made of the peoples peoples peo peo- ples pies and the lands of the Baltic prok provinces provinces pro pro- k vinces with no one but the government government govern govern- ment meat of France the con conditions under f which French territory shall be evacuated evacuated F and only with Au Austria what shall r be do done e with Poland In In the determination deter of all question ques ques- questions the Balkan states he tion affecting to Austria Aus Aus- defers as I 1 understand him 1 tria and Turl Turkey Y tind with regard toS to into concerning cont con con- S the agi agreement cement to be entered t the Turkish non people of the tine present Ottoman empire to the Tart Tur Tar Turkish lush kish authorities th themselves After a t settlement all arou around d effected inthis fashion by individual barter and concession concession concession con con- cession he would have no objection cUon if I correctly interpret his statement which would of nations to a league ue undertake to hold the new balance of power steady against external disturb disturb- ance who It must be evident to everyone everone understands what this war war- inns has wrought In the opinion and temper of I the world that no general peace pence no I peace worth the infinite sacrifices of these years pears of suffering can possibly be arrived at in any such fashion The Tile method the German chancellor proposes is the method of the congress of Vienna We cannot and will not return to that What Is at stake stale now Is the peace leace of the tine world Strive for New Order What we are striving for Is a new international order based on broad and universal principles of right and justice no justice no mere peace pence of shreds and patches It is possible that Count von does not see that does not grasp it is in fact tact living In his thought in a world dead and gone gone Has he utterly utterly utterly ut ut- terly forgotten the resolutions resolutions resolutions of the of July or do does s he lie deliberately deliberate Ignore them They spoke e of the conditions of a n general peace not riot of national aggrandizement or of arrangements between state and state The peace of or the World depends upon the just settlement of each Cach of the several sev sev- severa several eral era problems lems to which I adverted in my m recent address to the congress I of course do o not mean that th the peace of the world depends upon the acceptance acceptance acceptance accept accept- ance of any nn- particular set of suggestions suggestions as to the way in which those problems are to be dealt with I mean menn only that those problems each and all affect the fhe whole world orId that unless they are aie dealt with in a spirit of unselfish unselfish unselfish un un- un- un selfish and Unbiased justice with u a aview view to the wishes the tine natural connections connee- connee connections the racial aspirations the Security security security se se- se and the peace of mind of pf the people involved no TIO permanent peace will have been attained Must Respect Nations They hey cannot be discussed separately separately sepa sepa- separately or In corners None of them constitutes a private or separate interest interest interest in in- terest from Which the opinion of the world may maybe be shut out Whatever affects affects affects af af- af- af the peace affects mankind an and nothing settled by military force if settled wrong Is settled at all It will presently have to be reopened Is Count von yon Hertling not aware that he is speaking in the court of mankind that all the awakened nations na na- of the w world orld now sit in judgment nt on what every ery public man of whatever whatever whatever what what- ever nation may say on the issues ofa ofa of ol ola a conflict which has spread to every region of the world The Tie rei st g resolutions solutions of Jul July themselves frankly accepted the decisions decisions decisions deci deci- of that court There shall be no annexations no contributions no punitive punitive punitive puni puni- tive damages Peoples are not to be handed about from one sovereignty to another by an International conference or an understanding between rivals and antagonists National NatIon l aspirations must be respected peoples may now be dominated and be governed only by their own consent Self determination is not a mere phrase It is an Imperative Imperative imperative impera Impera- tive of action which statesmen statesmen statesmen states states- men will henceforth ignore at their peril We cannot have general peace for the time asking or by the mere arrangements arrangements arrangements ar ar- ar- ar of a peace conference It cannot cann t be pieced together out of individual individual in In- understandings between powerful powerful pow pow- erful states All the parties to this war must join in the settlement in it because what we are seeking is a peace that w we e can all unite to guarantee and maintain and every Item of it must be submitted to the common judgment whether It be right and fair an act of justl justice e rather than a bargain between sovereigns No Interference Meant The United d States has no desire to Interfere In European affairs orto act art artas as arbiter in European territorial dis dis- She would disdain to take advantage advantage advantage ad ad- vantage of any Internal weakness or disorder to impose her ler own will upon another people She is quite ready to tobe tobe tobe be shown that the settlements she has suggested are not the tine best bestor or the tine most enduring The They are only her own provisional provisional provisional pro pro- visional sketch of principles and of the way in which they should be applied But she entered this war because she shewa whether she wa was wag made a partner would or not in the tine sufferings and i indignities Inflicted by the military masters against the peace and security of mankind and the time conditions conditions conditions con con- of peace will touch her as nearly as they will touch any other nation nation nation na na- na- na tion to which is a l leading ading part in the maintenance of civilization She cannot see her way to peace until the causes of this war are removed its renewal rendered as nearly as may maybe maybe maybe be impossible This war had its roots in the disregard disregard dis dis- re regard ard of the tine rights lights of small nations nation and of nationalities which lacked the union and tile force to make good their claim to determine their own allegiances allegiances ances and their own forms of political be entered Covenants Co must now life Into which will gender such things impossible im- im Impossible impossible Im im- possible for the tine future and those covenants must be backed by the time force of all the tine nations that love justice and are willing to maintain main main- m maintain ln tain it at any cost and the If territorial settlements ments political relations of great populations which have not the organized power to resist ore are to he be determined by the contracts of the powerful governments which consider themselves most directly direct direct- ly affect affected d as ns Count von yon Hertling proposes proposes proposes pro pro- why may not economic questions questions questions ques ques- poses in the also It has come conic about altered world In which we now find rl rights of ourselves that U j justice and the peoples affect the whole field of international international international inter inter- national dealing as much as access to raw materials and amid fair and equal conditions conditions conditions con con- of trade Count von Hertling wants the h ess essential bases of commer commer- cial and industrial life to be safeguarded safeguarded safe safe- safe safe-I guarded by common agreement and guarantee but he cannot expect that to tobe tobe be concede him if the other matters to tobe tobe be determined by the line articles of peace are not handled in the tine same way as I Items in the final accounting He lie cannot cannot can can- not ask asle the benefit of common agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment in the one field without according it in the other I take it for granted that he sees that separate and selfish compacts with regard to trade and ond the essential ma ma- materials tennis of manufacture w would afford no I foundation atlon for peace Neither he me may rest assured will separate and selfish compacts wit to provinces and peoples Czernin Sees Peace Count Czernin seems to see the tine fundamental fundamental fundamental fun fun- elements of peace with clear eyes and does to obscure them He sees that an independent Poland made up of all the indisputable Polish peoples who lie He contiguous to one another another another an an- other is a matter of general concern and of course must be conceded that Belgium must be evacuated and restored restored re re- re stored no matter what sacrifices and concessions that may Involve and that national aspirations must be sacrificed even within his own empire in the common interest of Euro Europe and man man- kind If he is silent abo about t questions which touch the interest and purpose of his allies more nearly than they touch those of Austria only it must of course be because he feels constrained constrained constrained con con- conI I strained I suppose to defer to Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many and Turkey In the clr circumstances Seeing and conceding as he lie does the essential principles involved and the necessity of candidly applying them he naturally feels that Austria can respond respond respond re re- spond to the purpose of peace as expressed expressed expressed ex ex- pressed by the United States with less les embarrassment than could Germany He would probably have gone much farther had it not been for the embarrassments embarrassments embarrassments embar embar- of Austria's alliance and of her dependence upon Germany Here Are Principles After all the test of whether it Is possible for either government to go any further in this comparison of views is simple and obvious The principles principles prin prin- to be applied are these First that each part of the final settlement settlement settlement set set- must be based upon the essential essential essential es es- es- es justice of that particular case and upon such adjustments as are most likely to bring bling a 11 peace pence that will be permanent Second that peoples and provinces are not to be le bartered about from sovereignty sovereignty sov sov- to sovereignty as us if they were mere chattels and pawns in a game even the great game now forever discredited discredited discredited dis dis- credited of the tine balance of power but that Third every territorial settlement involved in this war must be made Inthe in inthe intine the tine interest and for the benefit of the populations concerned and antI not as apart a apart apart part of any mere meie adjustment or compromise compromise com com- promise of claims amongst rival states and Fourth that all well wen defined national national national na na- na- na aspirations shall be accorded the utmost satisfaction that can be accorded accorded ac- ac corded them without introducing new or interpreting old elements of discord and antagonism that would be he likely in time to break the peace of 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