THE POPE'S PEACE NOTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1917, Page 3

THE POPE'S PEACE NOTE.

TEXT OF THE (PROPOSALS. SECONJ.) FORMAL ATTEMPT TO END THE WAR. THE FOUNDATIONS OF AGREEMENT. London, August 16. The lext to the Papal Note which has been addressed hi flte heads of tiie belligerent peoples lm--. been published. It is prefaced by the statement that it has been Ilis ilo'.iness'p aim t'.uce his accession to observe absolute neutrality and concurrently do everything in his power to hasten the end of the war. It states that he has not ceased during these three p.'.inful years to exhort the belligerent peoples and Governments to resume fraternal relationship, although everything that he had done to attain that object had been without publicity.

His Holiness refers to the unsuccessful result o£ the previous d-'apal Peace Note, sine-; when the war lu;tl become more cruel, extending over land and sea and even into the air. Defenceless cities, quiet villages, innocent inhabitants, have beer, stricken," with, desolation and death. The Note envisages the multiplied and aggravated sufferings which will ensue if the war continues —perhaps for years —and queries: "Must the world become a field of death, and Europe speed to the abyss of her own suicide?" Therefore, the sense of hi 3 supreme iduty as the Father of tho Faithful, and 'also the solicitations of his children imploring his intervention, as well as the voice of humanity and reason, impel him to renew his pressing appeal for peace, but in order not to confine himself longer to general terms, as he had done previously, he now submits more eoncret: and practical proposals. He invites the belligerent Governments to deliberate on the following points, which ".com to fonn the basis of a fair and lasfcng peace: The primarily fundamental point ought to be the substitution for the material force of arms the moral forces of right, from which would follow: An agreement for the simultaneous

reciprocal reduction of armaments, according to the rules and guarantees, to a degree only necessary for" the maintenance of public order in each State. Then: The establishment of arbitration, providing for concreted action and penalties against the .State refusing to submit to international questions '■hereto, or to accept its decisions. The Note proceeds to express the view that once the supremacy of right has thus been established, rules could be lived assuring real liberty and freedom of seas, thus eliminating numerous causes of dispute, end opening to all new sources of prosperity and progress. His Holiness does not see any other means of solving the question of reparation and payment for war costs than complete mutual liquidation as a general principle. refers in this connection to the innoense benefits to be derived from disarmament. Besides, he points out, it is incomprehensible that this carnage should continue, for economic reasons. RECIPROCAL RESTITUTION. Peaceful agreement will be impossible without the reciprocal restitution of the occupied territories. Consequently, Germany should evacuate Belgium, guaranteeing her unhampered independence, and also the French territory. The other group of belligerents would restore the German colonies. In regard to the territorial questions,,such as Italy, Austria, and Germany and France have expressed an opinion, the nations should conciliatorily examine the matter, taking into consideration the people's aspirations as far as possible, and subordinating special interest for the general good for human society. The same spirit of equity and justice should animate the examination- of other territorial and political questions, particularly relating to .Armenia, and the Balkan States, and the territories comprising the old kingdom of Poland. The noble and historic traditions and long sull'e>ings of the latter, especially in the present war, should arouse the nations' sympathies. " The Note believes that the acceptance of the foregoing leading points would prevent a recurrence of quarrels, and prepare for a solution of the economic question. It concludes with an earnest, and prayful appeal to the nations to turn a favourable ear to the communica-tion—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.