PRESIDENT WILSON'S LATEST PEACE IDEAS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2985, 24 January 1917, Page 5

PRESIDENT WILSON'S LATEST PEACE IDEAS

EQUALITY OF ALL NATIONS EXTENSION OF MONROE DOCTRINE TO THE WHOLE WORLD By Telegraph"—Press Assn.—Copyright. ; Washington, January 22. President Wilson, addressing tbe Senate, advocated a league to secure peace after the war, founded on equality of rights, and based on an independent, united, autonomous plan, giving full freedom of development to small nations, tho freedom of tho seas, and a limitation, of armaments, neither recognising nor implying differences between, small and great nations. Peace, said tho President, can only last when based on equality, and common participation in common benefits. Guarantees exchanged botween the nations must neither recognise nor imply differences between tho nations, great or small. Tho United States must bo willing to join other nations to guarantee peace and justice throughout tbo world. All 'nations must havo a direct outlot to the great highway of the seas; President Wilson summed up the idea as an extension of tho Monroe Doctrine to the whole world, and the avoidance of entangling alliances which drove nations into competition for power. President Wilson declared that tho peaco that must come mrEurope must be peaco without victory, or victors' terms imposed on the vanquished.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. Only a Peace Between Equals Can Last. Continuing, President Wilson said it was not necessary to have any entangling alliances with the concert of Powers. A settlement guaranteeing peaco and justico throughout the world cannot be long postponed, but tho war must bo first ended. Tho'way in which the war is ended will make a great difference to the United States. "Tho statements of both of the groups of nations now arrayed against one another have said that it was no part of tho purpose they had in mind to crush their antagonists, but tbe implications of these assurances may not bo equally clear to all, may not be the sam« on both sides of tho water. They imply, first of all, that it must be peace without victory. It in not pleasant to say this; I beg I may be permitted to put my own interpretation upon it, 'and that it may be understood that no j other interpretation was in my thoughts. I am seeking only to face realities, and to face them without soft concealments. Victory would moan peace forced upon the loser, a victor's terms imposed upon the vanquished. It would ibe accepted in humiliation under duress at an intolerable sacrifice, and would leave a sting of resentment, and a bitter memory upon which the terms of peace would rest, and that would bo only as upon a quicksand. Only a peaco between equals can last; only a peace the principle of which is equality and common participation in common benefit can last."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. v»INDEPENDENT PpLAND 'AN ESSENTIAL' PEACE CONDITION ■ Vancouver, January 22. j President Wilson says that an essential condition for futuro peaco is a j united and independent autonomous Poland.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. I DIVIDED OPINIONS REGARDING THE SPEECH. ■ (Reo. January 23, 5.5 p.m.) , '' „ , . Washington, January 22. ■ Presidont Wilson's appearance in the Senate creatcd a tremendous sensation. The speech has not materially effected the Stock Exchange. Officials and Congressmen are disinclined to offer any comment as yet. Opinion is divided as to tbe wisdom of so far outlining tho conditions. Some consider the speech was justified by Mr. A. J. Balfour's Note, while others regard the utterance as premature. T'hero is confusion as to whethor "united independent autonomous Poland" includes Itusso, German, and Austrian Poland. It is considered that the phrase "there must bo peace without victory" is likely to be resented by tho Allies. Senators' opinions vary from "it is tho noblest utterance" to "it is a war statement requiring much reflection." There is speculation as to whether "the endorsement of all nations of tho right to possess access to the means tho neutralisation of Constantinople and the Dardanelles, and whether this will be satisfactory to Russia.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AMERICAN PRESS SEVERELY CRITICISES THE PRESIDENT (Rcc. January 23, 11.35 p.m.) New York, January 23. Tho "Now York Times" says: "By ono stroke tho President removes many obstacles to a peaco guaranteed by the world. The proposal for t'lio universal adoption of tho Monroe Doctrine would bo a moral transformation, but will tho Empires ho content to stand still in their tracks? Tho proposal would bestow immense benefits on mankind. Tho allusion to peaco without victory is a matter of tho cxtrcmest delicacy. President Wilson unconsciously or intentionally records an eloquent protest against militarism. The President's ideas of the limitation of armaments would leavo no national maritimo supremacy." Mr. Roosovelt says it is ridiculous for Wilson to talk of a world peace wlien ho is unablo to enforce peace in Mexico, and it was insincere to talk of righteousness when America was 11 nprepared to tako, emphatio action against Germany's hideous outrages in Belgium. Tho T 'Ncw York Sun" says Wilson's administrative inefficiency has failed to secure peaco in Mexico, yet ho mounts tho rostrum where it is not his business to bo, and lectures tho world on tho terms of peace for Europe. Wilson should bo more modest.in view of his responsibilities to mankind. Tho speech will excite amazement and- irritation, mingled with amusement. Tho "New York Herald" says: "If peaco without victory means anything it means that Wilson favours a poaco made in Prussia." Tho German-American Press praises tho speech., Republican Waders say tli« speech was ill-timed aticl utterly impossible of acoomplishm'ttt. . DISCUSSION OF THE PEACE NOTES FORBIDDEN BY THE POPE. Rome, January 22. Ecclesiastical circles_ affirm the Pope's strong disapprobation of the German and Austrian atrocities. The "Stampa," states that the Pope instructed the bishops and priests in neutral countries to refrain from pub lio discussion of the Peace Notes.— Aua.-N.Z. Cable As6n,