UNITED STATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1918, Page 5

UNITED STATES.

PRESIDENT'S ADDRFSS TO v ' , CONGRESS. FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM. Washington. Feb. 11. President Wilson, addressing Congress, said the United States did not desire to interfere in Knropean affairs and disdained to take advantage of interna! disorders to impose lier will on other peoples.

President Wilson will answer Count Hertling before Congress at 12.30 todav. President Wilson holds that he can discuss a general peace based on justice to each party to the settlement, and territorial settlements for the interests of the populations concerned. Mr. Wilson declares that until the war of emancipation has achieved a basis for the people's freedom the United States will continue to fight. ■HERTLING'S SPEECH CONDEMNED. President Wilson continued: Count Hertling argued that the seas ought to he free, but he looked askance at any i limitation to that freedom by international action. ■ Count Hertling was after a settlement with individual States by a system of exchange and barter, after which he would have no objection to the proposed League of Nations. But this method was really the method followed by the Congress of Vienna. We could not and would not return to that. What we were striving for was a new international order based on international right, not a mere peace based on shreds and patches Count Hertling had evidently forgotten this. He also failed to'remember the Reichstag resolution of July If), 1917. PEACE MATTERS DISCUSSED. President Wilson opposed the policies of Counts Hertling and Czernin, but conceded that Count Czernin laid down clearly the fundamentals for a permanent peace. Austria, seeing the necessity of conceding the essential principles and applying them, could respond to the United States' programme with less embarrassment than Germany. Mr. Wilson said: "Wo cannot turn our back to the basis Count Hertling proposes. America is ready to be shown that the terms of the settlements she suggests are not the best. All welldelined national aspirations must\bc accorded all the satisfaction possible without introducing new or perpetuating old discordant elements likely to break the world's peace. \ , "The war started from disregard of the rights of small nations and of covenants. We must make this impossible in (he future. Count Hertling'cannot expect this to go unaltered while he demands an international settlement of economic questions. A general peace can be discussed only if based on justice, the equality of peoples, and national autonomy."

WHY AMERICA WILL FIGHT TO THE END. President Wilson said that Count Czernin had adopted a friendly tone and seemed to see the fundamentals of peace with clear eyes, not seeking to obscure tlictn. Count Czernir probably would have gone further if Austria "had not been embarrassed by her alliances or dependent so largely on Germany. The United States would continue to the end because the war was really one of emancipation.

President Wilson said that peace was impossible on Count Hertling's basis. The militarists in Germany preferred to send a million to death'rather than accept a just peace. America had suffered from indignities indicted by Germany, and there could not be peace until the cause of the war was removed. "Our whole strength will be put in this war of emancipation, whatever the difficulties. In no circumstances will we consent to live in a world governed 'by intrigue and force. '■The power of the United States is i power making for justice and not a menace to anv nation or people." The speech bad a most favorable reception, and ;* likely to gain the approval of the '• '■• country. It is interpreted to i ' the main purpose of America ' ■■> the wedge further between | Austria. PEACE OF WORLD AT STAKF. FIRM FOUNDATIONS REQUIRED. HERTLINO'S STATEMENTS TRENCHANTLY DEALT WITH. Received Feb. 12, 8.30 p.m. Washington, Feb. 11. Addressing Congress to-day, President Wilson said: "Following my and Mr. Lloyd George's addresses on the subjects of the war, Baron Hertling and Count Czernin replied on the 24th. It is gratifying to have our desire so promptly relieved that all exchanges of views on this great matter should be made in the hearing of all the world. Count Czernin's reply was uttered in a very friendly tone, and having found in my statement a sufficiently encouraging approach to the views of his own Government ta justify him i n believing it furnishes the basis for a more detailed discussion of the purposes by the two Governments, he has been represented to have intimated that I knev 'loforehand his views, 'but, as a matter n. i'act, I liave received no intimation theveanent. There is no reason why he should communicate with inc privately, and I am quite content to be one of his public audience.

"VAGUE AND CONFUSING." "Baron von Hertling's reply is verv vague and confusing, and full of equfvccal phrases; but it is in a very different tone from Count Czernin's and apparently of opposite purpose. It seems to confirm the unfortunate impression made by what we learned of the Brest Litovsk conference. His discussion and acceptance of our general principles lead him to no practical conclusions. He refuses to apply them to substantive items. "He is jealous of international action and international counsel. He accepts the principle of public diplomacy, but insists that it be confined in this owe w jgeneralities, and wonts sartiealw

| questions as to territory and sovereignty discussed and settled severally by' the nations most immediately concerned by interest or neighborhood- He agrees that the seas shall be free, hut looks askance atany limitation of that freedom by international action in the interest of the common order. He would be glad to see economic barriers removed between nation and nation, as that in no way would impede the ambitions of the military party with whom ho seems constiVuncd t 0 keep on terras. TAILS I WIX; HEADS YOU LOSE. "He raises no objection to the limitation of armaments, but he thinks that the matter can he settled of itself by the economic conditions which must follow the war He demands a return without debate of the German colonies, and will discuss onlv with the Russians what disposition shall be made of the Baltic nrovinces and peoples, only with the French the conditions under which French territory will be evacuated, and onlv with Austria what is to he done with Poland.

'•T?egardin? the Balkans, he defers to Austria nud Tnrkev. and concerning the non-Turk i«h peoples of the present, 0 toman Empire to the Turkish authorities themselves. A LEAGUE OF NATIONS. "Once all these questions are settled by individual concession and barter, he would have no objection to a league of nations which would undertake to hold the new balance of uower steady against external disturbance However, no peace can !be arrived at in such a fashion that will be acceptable to the world. That was the method of the congress of Vienna, and we intend never to return to that; period.

NO PEACE OF SHREDS AND .PATCHES. ''The peace of the world is at stake We arc striving for a new international order, based upon broad and universal principles of right and justice, and no mere peace of shreds and patches. Is it possible that Baron Hertling does not ■:ee or grasp that he is in fact and in thought living in a world that is dead and sjone? Has lie forgotten the Reichstag's resolutions of July 19, or does he deliberately ignore them? They spoke of a general peace, not of national aggrandisement or arrangements between States. A state of permanent peace must be attained, and this is not possible unless the problems arc dealt with in a spirit of unselfish, unbiassed justice, with a view to the wishes, natural connections, racial aspirations, and the security and peace of mind of the people- involved. They cannot be discussed separately in corner*, but they affect all mankind, and must be so regarded- Nothing can be settled by military force. If it is settled wrongly it is not settled at all.

■l'he court of maxkind. ''All public men are now speaking in a court of mankind, find the Heichstag resolutions of July accepted the decisions of that court. There shall be 110 annexations, no contributions, no punit've damages. Peoples are not to bo handed from one sovereignty to another 'bv an understanding between rivals. Natie: al aspirations must be respected, and. aspirations jnust be respected, and in future, statesmen must not ignore the right of self-determination. "The United States does not desire, to interfere in European affairs or act as arbiter in European territorial disputes. She entered this, war because she was made a partner in the sufferings and indignities inflicted l»y the military masters of Germany against peace and the security of mankind." THE CONDITION'S OF PEACE. "The conditions of peace will touch the 1,-nited States as nearly as they will touch any other nation which is entrusted with a leading part in the maintenance of civilisation. .She cannot *i'e her way to peace unless the causes oi this war are removed and its renewal made as nearly aa may be impossible The war bad its roots in the disregard of the rights of small nations and tionalitios which lacked union and force to make good their right of self-deter-mination. It is now necessary that a covenant be entered into for the future to ensure these rights for small nations. If, as Baron Hertling proposes, territorial settlements and political relations of great populations are to be determined by contracts of powerful governments, why not economic questions, also justice and rights of the peoples? They a fleet the. whole field of international , WHcli as access to raw mater. I equal conditions of tradeliar- ling wants the essential basis of cci,. vial and industrial life to be safeguarded by common agreement and guarantee, but he cannot expect that to be conceded him if the other articles of peace are not handled in the same way He cannot ask for the benefit of a common agreement i n one field without according it in the other.

COUNT CZERNIN'S VISION. "Count Ozernin seems to see the fundamental elements of peace with clear eyes and does not obscure them, tie sees that an independent Poland is a matter of European concern, that Belgium must he evacuated and restored, that national aspirations must be satisfied, even with his own empire, in the common interest of Europe mid mankind. He is naturally silent ahout questions touching the interest md purpose of his Allies, because he f constrained, I suppose, to defer to ' v an d q cl .. many in the cifcumst.i but he feels that Austria can respon,. to the purpose of peace as expressed by the United States with less embarrassment than could Germany Ho probably would have gone further, hut for the embarrassments of Austria's alliances and her dependence upon Germany. THE REAL TEST. "After all the test of whether it is possible for either Government to «o any further in this comparison of view 3 is simple and obvious, the principles be ing these: 1. Each part of the final settlement must lie based on the essential justice of that particular ease and upon such adjustments as are most likely to bring permanent peace. 2 Peoples and provinces are not to he bartered- about like chattels in order to maintain the balance of power. 2 Every territorial settlement inyolved in this war must be made in the interest and for the benefit of the populations, concerned, (and not a 9 or compro-

4. Well-defined national aspirations must be accorded all possible satisfaction. ■'A general peace on such foundation* can be discussed. Until then we have 110 choice but to go on. These principles are now universally recognised except by the military and annexationist party 111 llerniany, "WE CAN NEVER TURN BACK." "\Ve entered this war upon no small occasion. We can never Lnrn back from the course chosen upon principle Our resources are partly mobilised. Wc shall not pause until thc.y are mobilised in their entirety- Our armies are rapidly going to the lighting front, and will'go more and more vapidly. Our whole strength will be put into this war nf emancipation. Having set nur hand to the task of achieving the new order under which reason, justice, and the crtmmon interest of mankind shall prevail, Iwe shall not turn back. "I have thus spoken that the wholo world may know the spirit of America, | that our passion for justice and selfgovernment is no mere passing of words, but a passion which once set in motion I must he satisfied. The power of the | United Stales will never be used in agjgeession or for aggrandisement of any selfish interest of our own period. It springs out ..of freedom and is for the service of freedom." , IMPENUNG GERMAN OFFENSIVE. WAR MINISTER'S VIEWS Washington, Fe*b. 11. Mr. Baker's communique to-day opines that a l>ig German offensive at several points on the West front is imminent. Germany is strengthening the West front with troops from the AustrianRussian front. There is great dissatisfaction in Austria owing to tihe dispatch of Austrians to the West front. WAR 'DEPARTMENT REORGANISED. New York, Feb. 11. Mr. Baker has reorganised the War Department, dividing it into five 'branches, thus securing efficiency and eliminating red tape.