PRESIDENT'S REPLY TO POPE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14389, 30 August 1917, Page 3

PRESIDENT'S REPLY TO POPE.

. -„: „ „<; .„, r .. r , DESIRE FOR STABLE! AND EvN'DUR^ ING PEACE. SOME. PLAIN FACTS. CCNTINFNT SWEPT BY TIDE OF BLp'OiD.

(A^ s ';'fa''»p „?-")<* <: * aa c; Association 1 ! „'; ■; '' President Wilson's reffly. rejects the Pope's proposals on the ground they they involve Germany 's ' recuperation.' He , points out that it is impossible to rely on the German Government's guarantees. ' ' Tho reply . says : ..'.'Every heart ;is touched -by the dignity and force of the Pope's. moving appeal"; but the response must he based on firm facts. The Pope does not, desire the mere cassation of arms, but a. stable and enduring peace. The 'agony must not be gone through again." After summarising the Pope's -pro-posals,'-President. Wilson continues: "It is manifest that ins part of the programme can 'be carried out unless restitution and .the status qito furnishes a firm and satisfactory basis. Our object is to deliver free peoples' "frorti the mmih'ee and actual power. Of a vast 'military Wtatilisbm'eiit controlled by "<in . " irrfes'fiotisible Government; which sfrcVdtiy^plaiine'd. to dominate the world and - trittl "" to' ciirty out the plan without regard to treaties or international ' lumOr. '' Germany chose her own time, for the war, andstiyick fie'rl*ely and siiddeiily. '' Hhe stopped at Ho barriei?, either "of law or "mercy, ' but svVept tile jCWnfineVit' with .a tide * of blood.' * It is not* pur "business how the fWman' people came under this ruthless' master, "but we must see that the* rest' of the World'' is not left to" the* ihei-cy of the German' Govern njent.. "We .think 'the' Po'pe's" plan would involve a recuperatidii of the i German ("rovdrhmfeiit's sti'eng^ih,' wnieh would necessitate a permanent combination of' nations against Germany and result iri abandoning newborn i Russia to intrigue.' .' *'7'"oan' peace'- "be based .on .restitution' of German power or any word of honor pledged by _ Gerniahy? - Peace cannot rest ' On .political or .ecohopiio restrictions designed to benefit some nations aiid embarrass others. The American people have intolerable wrongs at the hands of Germany, but we do. not desire reprisal against ihe : German people. Ifeace ; should test, on the rights of peoples', riot on the Government; upon the rights of all people' to freedom', sector ity, sejf-gbyarnmerit and . particijiation' ' upon fair tetms iri :, economic " opportunities. We iricliide "the. German people if they accept equality -and do n4t sefek doroinatidti. This is the .test of every ptMice, whether based on the faith of Pop^s or merely on the woi'd of ambitious and intriguing Governments.' "The United States' aim is clearly stated. . ' We ibelieve^ the intolerable' wrongs by the 'German Govfii-Hment ought to be repaired, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of any people. . We deem inexpedient — and, m the end, worse than futile — such proposals as punitive damages, dismemberment of Empires, or. the establishment of selfish arid .exclusive economic— leagues. We cannot take the .word", of ..the present rulers oi <*reriiiariy . as a guarantee of anything ensuring unless eJiplicitly supported by exclusive evidence of the 'will arid purpose of tKe . German i^bjjle. Without such guarantee, treaties, agreements, converi-ant-s, and. territorial ' adjustments, if inade'by Cermariy, .could not be depended upon. . "We must await 'new evidence of the purpose of the peoples of the Cen trial Empires. God grant it may he given .sdon." ' „ ,