The Lexington Leader (Lexington, Okla.), Vol. 27, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, January 11, 1918 Page: 6 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 20 x 14 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
THE LEXINGTON LEADER
President Wilson States
American Peace Terms
BELGIAN VILLAGERS DRIVEN FROM HOME BY BOMBARDMENT
UNITED STATES STANDS SQUARELY
WITH THE ALLIES IN OPPOSING
BREST-LITOVSK OFFER
RUSSIA'S PROPOSITIONS
ARE FULLY ENDORSED
wilson's demands cover freedom for belgium,
servia, roumania and poland, restoration of
alsace-lorraine, independence of non-
turkish population and representa-
tive government in germany.
Washington.—America's program of, those who resist and defy that spirit and
1 intention and insist upon conquest ana
■war and peace with definite terms up-
on which the nations, great and small
fighting together against German
world domination are ready to lay
down their arms, was given to the
world by President Wilson through an
address to congress in joint session.
For this program, based upon the
righting of wrongs and the safety of
peace loving peoples desiring to live
their own lives, the president com-
mitted the United States to fight and
continue to fight until it is accomplish-
ed. Thus he pledged the country to
the allied policy of no separate peace.
"We cannot be separated in inter-
est or divided in purpose," he said.
"We stand together to the end."
Answer to Challenge.
The speech, heard by congress at
an hour's notice and accepted with a
wavo of approval that brought togeth-
er virtually every element of both
houses was delivered as a direct re-
sponse to the German challenge in the
negotiations with the Russians at
Brest-Litovsk.
It followed closely and approved the
address of the British premier, but
was far more specific in statement of
terms, robbing of force in advance
any German peace irive designed to
confuse the entente and the American
governments and their peoples while
at the same time presenting the foun-
dation for genuine negotiations when-
ever the central powers are ready
to talk of a just peace.
A notable feature of the address
was the sympathetic attitude of the
president toward the Bussian repre-
sentatives who de t with the Ger-
mans at the peace conference—the
bolsheviki, often execrated for their
defection from the entente and for
permitting themselves to be drawn in-
to the Teutonic peace trap.
The Russians, he said, presenting a
perfectly clear statement of the prin-
ciples upon which they would be will-
ing to conclude peace, are sincere and
In earnest and when they found thai
the actual German terms of settle-
ment came from the military leaders
who had no thought but to keep what
they had taken, the negotiations were
troken off.
The Address.
The substance of the president's
address follows:
Gentleman of congress:
Parleys have been in progress at Brest-
Litovsk with representatives of the cen-
tral powers to which the attention «r
all the belligerents have been involved
for the purpose of ascertaining whether
It may bo possible to extend then< par-
leys into a general conference with re-
gard to terms of peace and settlement.
The Russian representatives present-
ed not only a perfectly detinue state-
ment of the principles upon which they
would be willing to conclude peace but
also an equally definite program of the
concrete application of these prlncip'es.
The representatives of the central pow-
ers, on their part, presented an outline
of settlement whicn, if much less defi-
nite, seemed susceptible of liberal inter-
pretation until their specmc program of
practical terms was added
Assails German Term*.
That program proposed no concessions
at all either to the sovereignty of Rus-
sia or to the pref*■ i < re • s <>r tin- popu-
lations with whoss fortunes it dealt, out
meant, in a word, that the central em- .
pires were to keep every foot or terri-
tory their armed forces had occupied
every province, every city, every point
of vantage—as a permanent addition to
their territories and their power. It is
a reasonable conjecture that the prin- I
ciples of settlement whicn rney nt first
suggested originated with the more lib-
eral statesmen of Germany and Austria
«—the men who have begun to feel the
force of their own people's thought and
purpose, while the concrete terms of ac-
tual settlement came from the military
leaders who have no thought but to keep
what they have got. The negotiations |
have been broken off. The Russian rep-
resentatives were sincere and In earm- t.
They cannot entertain such proposals of |
eonqust and domination.
The Russian representatives have in-
sisted, very Justly, very wisely anil In tiie
true spirit of moderti democracy that x: e
conferences they have been holding with
.the Teutonic and Turkish statesmen
should be held within open, not i ■ •
doors, and with all the audience, as was
desired. To whom have we been listen-
ing, then? To those who speak tjie
apTrit and intention of the resolutions
of the German reichstag of July 9 last,
the spirit and intention or tne liberal
leaders and parties of Germany, or to
ubjugation?
Hut whatever tho result of the parleys
at Rrest-Litovsk, whatever tne confu-
sions of council and of purpose In tne
utterances of the spokesmen ot tHe cen-
tral empires, they have again attempted
to acquaint the world with their objects
in the war and have again challenged
their adversaries to say what their ob-
eJcts are and what sort of settlement
they would deem Just and satisfactory.
Refers to Lloyd George.
Within the last week, Mr. L«loyd George
has spoken with admirable candor ami
in admirable spirit for the people ana
government of cfreat Britain. There is
no confusion of counsel among the ad-
versaries of the central powers, no un-
certainty of principle, no vagueness of
detail. The only secrecy of counsel, the
only lack of fearless frankness, the only
ianure to make definite statement of the
objects of the war, lies with Germany
and her allies.
Tho issues of life and death hang upon
these definitions. No statesman who
has the least conception of his respon-
sibility ought lor a moment to permit
himself to continue this tragical and ap-
palling outpouring of blood and treasure
unless he is sure beyond preventure that
the objects of the vital sacrifice are part
and parcel of the very life of society
and that the people for whom he speaks
think them as right and imperative as he
There Is, moreover, a voice calling for
these definitions of principle and of pur-
pose which is, It seems to me, more
thrilling and more compelling than any
of the many moving voices with whlcli
the troubled air of the world is filled.
Most Be Open Processes.
It will be our wish and purpose that
the processes of peace, when they are
begun, shall be absolutely open and that
they shall Involve and permit hence-
forth no secret understandings of any
kind* The daj <>t conquest and aggran-
dizement is gone by; so also is the day or
secret covenants entered into in the In-
tel t of particular governments and
likely at some unlooked for moment to
upset the peace of the world. It is this
happy fact, now clear to the view of
every public man whose thoughts lo no:
still linger in an age that is dead and
gone, which makes it possible for every
nation whose purposes are consistent
with Justice and the peace of the world
to avow now or at any other time the
objects it has in view.
We entered this war because Violations
of right had occurred which touched us
to the quick and made the lire or our
own people impossible unless they were
corrected and the world secured once
for all against their recurrent*-.
"What We Demand."
What we demand in this war, there-
fore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves.
It is that the world be made fit ami
safe to live in; and particularly that it
be made safe fe# every peace-loving na-
tion which, like our own, wishes to live
its own life, determine its own insti-
tutions, be assured of justice and rair
dealing by the other peoples or tne worm
as against force and selfish aggression.
-Ml the peoples of the world are in effect
partners in this Interest and for our own
part we see very clearly that unless
justice be done t< others, it will not be
done to us. The program of the world's
peace, therefore, isr our program; and
that program, the only possible program,
as we see it, is this:
1.—Open covenants of peace, openly ar-
rived at, after which there shall he no
private international understandings or
any kind but diplomacy shall proceeJ al-
ways frankly and in the public view.
2.—Absolute freedom of navigation up-
on the seas, outside territorial waters,
;>!lke in peace and in war, except as the
seas may be closed in whole or in part
j by international action" for enforcement
of international covenants.
j 3.—The removal, so far as possible, of
I all economic barriers and the establish-
ment of an equality of trade conditions
among the nations consenting to tne
peace and associating themselves for its
maintenance.
4.—Adequate guarantees given and
taken that national armaments will be
j reduced to the lowest points consistent
with domestic safety.
5.—A free, open-minded and absolutely
Impartial adjustment of all colonial
claims based upon a strict observance
of the principle that in termtnlng all
; such questions of sovereignty the inter-
I ests of the populations concerned must
nave equal weight with the equitaDie
claims of the government whose title I*
to be determined.
DEMANDS FOR RUSSIA.
6.—The evacuation of all Russian terri-
tory and such a settlement of all ques-
tions affecting Russia as will secure the
best and freest co-operation of the other
nations of the world in obtaining for her
an unhampered and unemoarra^seu op-
portunity tor the independent determina-
tion of her own political development and
national policy.
ABOUT BELGIUM.
7.—Belgium, the whole world will
agree, must be evacuated and restored,
without any attempt to limit the sover-
eignty which she enjoys In common wltn
all other tree nations. No other single
act will serve as this will serve to
restore confidence among the nations in
the laws which they have themselves set
and determined for the government or
their relations with one another. Witn-
out this healing act, the wnoi-; structure
and valid'ty of International law is tor-
ever impaired.
FOR ALSACE-LORRAINE.
8.—All French territory should De freed
and the invaded portions restored and
the wrong done to France by Prussia in
1871 in the matter of A.-sacc-Lorraine,
which has unsettled the peace or tiie
world for nearly sO years, should be
righted, in order that peacs may once
more be made secure in the interest
of all.
9.—A readjustment of the frontiers of
Italy should be effected along clearly
recognizable lines of nationality.
10.—The peoples of Austria - ?-fungary,
whose place among the natrons we want
to see safeguarded and assured, should
be accorded the freest opportunity of
autonomous development.
FOR THE BALKAN®.
11-—Rumania, Serbia and Montenegro
should be evacuated; occupied territories
restored; Serbia accorded the freest use
of the sea and the relations of the sev-
eral Balkan states to one another ceier-
mined by friendly counsel along histori-
cally established Lines of allegiance ano
nationality and international guarantees
of the political and economic indepen-
dence and territorial integrity of the sev-
eral Balkan states shouio oe entered
Into.
12.—The Turkish portions or tne pres-
ent Ottoman empire should be assured a
secure sovereignty but these nationali-
ties which are under Turkish rule should
be secured and security or life guaran-
teed, and the Dardanelles should be per-
manently opened as a free passage to the
ships and commerce of all nations under
international guarantees.
REGARDING POLAND.
13.— In independent Polisn state should
be erected which should include the ter-
ritories inhabited by indlspL.aDty Polish
populations, which should be assured a
free and secure access to tne sea and
whose political and economic indepen-
dence and territorial integrity should oe
guaranteed by international covenant.
14.—A general association of nations
must be formed under specific covenants
for the purpose of affording mutual guar-
anties of political independence and ter-
ritorial integrity to great and small states
alike.
In regard to these essential rectifica-
tions of wrong and assertions or right w e
feel ourselves to be intimate partners
of all the governments and people asso-
ciated together against the imperialists.
We cannot be separated in interest or
divided In purpose. We stand together
until the end.
For such arrangements and covenants
we are willing to fight and to continue
to fight until they are achieved; but
only becau.^te we wish tne ripiit to pre-
vail and desire a just and stable peace
such as can be se%?ured only by remov-
ing the chief provocations to war, which
this program does remove.
No Jealousy of German Greatness.
We have no jealousy of German great-
ness and there is nothing in this program
that impairs ft. We grudge here no
achievement or distinction of learning or
of pacific enterprise such as .have made
her record very bright and very enviable.
We do not wish to injure her or to bloe.k
in any way her legitimate influence or ;
power. We tlo not wish to fight her
either with arms or with hostile arrange-
ments of trade, if she is willing to asso-
ciate herself with us and the otner peace-
loving nations of tlie world in covenants
of justice and law and fair dealing. We i
wish her only to accept a p'ace of equal-
ity among the people of tne world—the
new world In which we now live—instead
of a place of mastery.
Must Know Who Speaks.
Neither do we presume to suggest to
her any alteration or modification of h> r
institutions. Hut it is necessary, we ,
must frankly say, and necessary as a
preliminary to any intelligent dealings
With her on our part, that we should
know whom her spokesmen speak for
when they speak to us, whether for tne
reichstag majority pr for tne military
party and the men whose creed is im-
perial domination.
We have spoken now, surely, in terms
too concrete to admit of any further
doubt or question. An evident principle
runs through the whole program I have
out ind. It is the principle or Justic. to
all peoples and nationalities and their
right to live o nequal terror or liberty
and safet\ with one another, whether
they be strong ot weak.
I'nless this principle be made its foun-
dation, no part of the structure or inter-
national Justice can stand. The peopie
of the United States should act on no
other principle ;and to the vindication of
the plea they are ready to devote their
lives, their honor and evrvthlng that they
possess. The moral climax ot this, the
eliminating and llnal war Tor human lib-
erty, has come and they are ready to put
their own strength, their own highest
purpose, their own integrity and devo-
tion to the test.
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC (Q
INFORMATION ^
Belgian villagers leaving their homes In a small hnmlet near the front because the enemy has opened a bombard-
ment and if they stay their lives are in danger. They may on their return find nothing but a pile of debris. When>
the residents of the hamlet evacuate they carry with them us much of their valuable belongings as possible.
BOLSHEVIKI TAKEN PRISONER BY FORMER COMRADES
This photograph shows a hatch of bolsheviki soldiers, followers of Lenine, being marched off to captivity by for-
mer comrades who are supporters of the provisional government and who took them prisoner during the fighting 1b>
the streets of l'etrograd.
perry expedition suhvivor MODEL OF PORTABLE HOSPITAL WARDS
compare this speech with wilson's
Zurich.—"We must recognize only one principle—that might is
right—and must know neither sentiment nor consideration of human-
ity or compassion." said (ieneral Von Lieb in a speech before the con-
servative congress in which he declared Germany must have Courland,
Belgium and northern France.
The speech was delivered at Halle, Prussia.
"We will incoroprate Courland, bringing in 60,000,000 Russians
and the Slav nightmare will then ride us no longer," he asserted
"We must have Belgium and northern France. The curse of God
is upon the French. Portuguese possessions must disappear.
"France must pay until bled white.
"You may call me jingo, Chauvinist, or anything you like, but wo
must have a strong peace."
German newspapers, in further editorial comment, find nothing
acceptable to the central powers in the speech of Lloyd George.
"We are unable to discover a word in the long statement which
we must admit is temperate and moderate, justifying an affirmative
reply," the Tageblatt declares.
. * J
f:
T Hiifimlli
V ' •
This Is William II. Ilnnly, the only
survivor of the famous Perry expedi-
tion to Japan in 1853. He attended
the dedication of the Terry monument
In Tokyo recently and is shown in the
sailor's uniform he wore on that occa-
sion.
german newspaper comment on peace terms of lloyd george
Neue Frie Press (Vienna)—Lloyd
George's peace terms are nothing else
than the ruthless Idea, clad in many
words, that force shall decide that
;he war shall continue until it has been
established unquestionably who is the
strongest. Lloyd George announces
freedom for all peoples with the ex-
ception of those under his own yoke.
Neucs Wiener Tageblatt (Vienna)—
Lloyd George recognizes the principle
f s' f'eterminatloD and the rights of
peoples only where he believes this
principle could be put into effect In
favor of the entente. He preaches
economic war and renounces only with
the greatest precaution England's new-
ly established militarism. Thus in the
same breath he promises and refuses
a lasting peace.
Kolnische Zletung (Berlin)—If his
war aims should be fulfilled Germany
would be driven back into her posi-
tion in 1914, but without uUsace-Loj-
raina and the German colonies and
loaded wth an immense war indem-
nity, faced with a dangerous Polish
state on her frontier and moreover
I delivered to the discretion of the en-
i tente allis for receiving goods. The
I peace offer of Premier Lloyd George
cannot be accepted.
Pester Lloyd (Budapest)—It is un-,
derstood in political circles that the
peace conditions offered by the British
| prime minister are considered impos-
jsible of acceptance.
Mother's Suggestion.
The son of a certain resident of the
city brought an automatic stop for the
talking machine recently, relates the
Indianapolis News. The mother
thought it very foolish to put so much
money In such a contrivance and asked
why it was needed. The son explained
that if he was in nnother part of the
house he would not need to rush into
the room to turn the machlTie off after
it had finished playing the record.
"Many times I have had to run Into the
room to answer the telephone when it
rings," she replied, "when I am In an-
other part of the house. Let's put one
ou the telephone, too."
Carpenter putting the finishing touches to a large model of a new port*
able hospital ward designed by President Henry Fairfield Osborn of th«'
American Museum of Natural History for use by the Bed Cross in France.
The hospital Is fashioned in five-feet units that can readily be erected of
removed by unskilled labor. The collapsible parts can be packed in small
space.
CARING FOR LITTLE REFUGEES FROM FRANCE
No Reasonable Reason.
"The last two words of a recent
verse of mine were omitted entirely,"
walled Tennyson J. Draft, "spoiling
both the rhyme and sense of the com-
position."
"I do not see why the printer should
have gone to thnt trouble," returned
J. Fuller Gloom. "Without being tam-
pered your verses would seem to be
sufficiently grotesque and senseless to
wtlsfy the most morbid taste."
In Switzerland the Bed Cross, in addition to its other work, gives mucb
attention to the children who have come thore from the occupied part of north-
ern France. The photograph shows the nursery where these little refugee®
are bathed and clothed.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Little, Ed F. The Lexington Leader (Lexington, Okla.), Vol. 27, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, January 11, 1918, newspaper, January 11, 1918; Lexington, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc110811/m1/6/: accessed June 10, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.