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Show PRESIDENT FAVORS WORLD ALLIANCE ADDRESS BEFORE PEACE LEAGUE REGARDED AS FEELER FOR PEACE ACROSS OCEAN. Declares United States is Ready tc Join in Any Feasible Association of Powers to Preserve the Peace of the World. Washington. President Wilson de clared here Saturday night before the League to Enforce Peace that the U.niied States was ready to join in any league association of nations to preserve the peace of the world against "political ambition and selfish sel-fish hostility," and in service of "a common order, a common justice and a common peace." He expressed the hope that the terms of peace which end the present war would include such an arrangement. Outlining suggestions for peace, which the president said he hoped thj United States would make, if it has opportunity to do so, he included provision pro-vision for absolute freedom of the seas, a contention which has been the keystone of all the diplomatic discussions dis-cussions with Germany and Great Britain, and virtual guarantee? of territorial ter-ritorial integrity and political independence. inde-pendence. Officials Interpreted the president's address as a preliminary feeler for peace in Europe. He outlined the conditions con-ditions on which the United States would move if it made a formal mediatory media-tory offer, with the idea, it was understood, under-stood, of learning how such suggestions sugges-tions would be received abroad. "I am sure," said the president, "that the people of the United States would wish their government to move along these lines: "First, such a settlement with regard re-gard to their own immediate interests as the belligerents may agree upon. We have nothing material of any kind to ask for ourselves and are quite aware that we are in no sense or degree de-gree parties to the present quarrel. Our interests are In peace and future guarantees. "Second, a universal association of the nations to maintain the inviolate security of the highway of the seas for common and unhindered use of all the nations of the world, and to prevent pre-vent any war begun either contrary to treaty covenants or without warning warn-ing and full submission of the causes to the opinion of the world a virtual guarantee of territorial integrity and political independence." The fundamentals of a lasting peace President Wilson said he believed be-lieved were: "First, that every people has a right to choose the sovereignty under which they shall live. Like other nations," the president said, "we have ourselves, our-selves, no doubl, once and again offended of-fended against that principle when for a little while controlled by selfish passion, as our franker historians have been honorable enough to admit; but it has become more aud more our rule of life and action. "Second, that the small states of the world have a right to enjoy the same respect for their sovereignty and for their territorial integrity that great and powerful nations expect and insist upon. "And third, that the world has a right to be free from every disturbance disturb-ance of its peace that has its origin in aggression and disregard of the rights of people and nations." |