BASIS OF PEACE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18132, 25 June 1919, Page 8

BASIS OF PEACE.

.DEFINED""BY PRESIDENT;. ■' WILSON': THE HISTORIC FOURTEEN POINTS' . On; January :8, 1918, President Wilson,'in an,address to a. joint session of Congress, named fourteen points as essential in a consideration or peace. The fourteon points-he stated aa follows: I. Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at; after which there shail be no private international understandings of any hind., but diplomacy shall proceed .always frankly and in tlio public view. 11. Absolute freedom of. navigation upon the seas outside territorialwaters, alike iu peace and in war, except as the seas may be closed in whole or in part by international action for the enforcement of international covenants. 111. Tho removal, so far as possible, of all economic, barriers and the establishment of an equality of trade conditions among all the nations consenting to the peace and associating themselves for its maintenance. IV. Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced to tlie'lowest point consistent with domestic safey V. A free, open-minded and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, based upon a strict observance of the principle that in determining all such questions of sovereignty 'tho interests of the populations concerned must have equal weight withtho equitable claims of the Government whoso title is to be,'determined. VI. The evacuation of all Russian territory, and such a settlement of all questions affecting Russia as wilbsecure the best and freest co-operation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and national policy, and assure her-of a sincere welcome into the society' of free nations.. under. institutions of her own choosing; and, more than «. welcome, assistance also of every kind that she may need and may her-' ■self desire. The treatment ' accorded Russia by her sister, nations, in the months to come will be the acid test of their'good will,.of their comprehension of her needs as distinguished from.their own interests, and of then- intelligent and unselfish sympathy. VII. Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacuated arid restored without anv attempt to limit the sovereignty which she enjoys in common with all other free nations. No other single act will seive as this will,serve to restoro confidence among the nationb in the laWs which they have themselves pet and determined for the government of their- relations with one another. Without this'.healing act the-whole structure and validity of international law is forever impaired. . VIII; All French territory should be freed and tlie invaded portions. re-, stored; and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in, .the matter of Alsace-Lorraine,- which.,' has unsettled the peace of the world for nearly fifty years, should bo. righted, in order that peace may once more bo made secure in the interest of all. . ~ IX. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected, along clearly recognisable lines' of nationality. • .X. The peoples' of, Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be. accorded the freest opportunity of ' autonomous develoument. '.. XL'Rumania, Serbia and Monte- | negro should be, evacuated; occupied ', territories restored; Serbia accorded free and secure access to tho sea, and I the relations of the several; Balkan States tp one another determined by friendly "counsel along historically established lines of allegiance and nationality ;' and ..international, guarantees of the political and economic independence and .territorial integrity of the several Balkan States, should be entered into. XII. The Turkish .portions of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty,'but tho other nationalities which are now under Turkish'rule should he assured, an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development,' and tho Dardanelles should .bp permanently opened ■ as,a free passage to the ships and commerce of air nations under international sruaranteefl.- ',. , XVIII. An independent Polish State should be erected which should include the territories . inhabited bv indisputably Poli*h populations, which should be assured.a free and secure access to the.sea, arid whose nolitical and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant." . XIV. A general association or nations must be formed, under specific covenants, for the purroso of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and smnll States alike. Mr Wilson's declaration of fourteen nence points ,wa«t made a day after the British Prime Minister, David Lloyd Geoiee. had stated in a public address to tho trades unions what his: country considered a "basis for peaco discussion.

FOUR PRINCIPT.es TO BE APPLIED.

On February 11, 1918, addressing Congress, President Wilson amplified ■his, previous utterances and summarised his attitude by stating four principles, as follow: • " First, that each part of the final settlement must be based upon zhi essential justice of that particular caso and upon such adjustments as are most likely to bring a peace, that will be permanent; ; ■ "Second, that peoples and provinces are not to be bartered about from sovereignty to so weigniy as if they were mere chattels and pawns in a game, even the great game, now for ever discredited, of tho balance of power; but that— ~ . " Third, every- territorial settlement involved in this war must ho made in the interest and for the benefit of tne populations concerned, and not as a part of any mere adjustment or compromise of claims amongst rival States; ' " Fourth, that all wellrdefined national aspirations shall be accorded the utmost satisfaction that can be accorded them without introducing new or perpetuating old elements- of discord and antagonism tint would be nkeiy m time to bWk the ueaco of Europe and consequently of the world," AMERICA'S AIMS.

i Addressing the Diplomatic Corps at Mt. Vernon, on July 4, 1918, President Wilson further defined America s war and peace aims, which he summarised in the following four clauses:— "I. Tho destruction of every arbitrary power anywhere that can separately, secretly and of its single choice disturb the peace of the world; or, it.it cannot be presently destroyed at the least.its reduction to virtual nnpo- '• II Tho settlement" of every- question . whether of 'territory, of sovereignty, of economic arrangement or of political relationship upon the basis of 'the free acceutance of that settlement by the people 'immediately concerned, and not -upon the basis of the material interest or advantage of any other na-

tion or r people which may desire, a different settlement for, the sake of its own exterior influence or mastery.' .., -i "111. The consent of all nations to be governed in their conduct toward each o ther by the same principles of honour and of respect "for the common law of civilised society that govern the individual citizens of all modern States in their relations with one another.; to the end that all promises and covenants may be sacredly, observed, do private plots or conspiracies hatched, no selfish injuries wrought with impunity, and ■ a mutual trust established upon the handsome foundation of a mutual respect for right/ ' ■ "IV. Tlie establishment of an organisation of peace which shall make it certain that the combined power of free nations will .chec/c every invasion.; of right and serve to make peace and justice the more secure by affording a definite tribunal of opinion to which all must submit and .by which every international readjustment that, cannot be amicably agreed upon by. the peoples directly concerned shall be sanctioned.