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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (87537)	3/29/2003 12:28:46 PM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Very fine speech. I gather the main points of the speech are twofold: the fourteen points and negotiations between the Russians and the Germans. None of the fourteen points address democracy issues in Germany. The closest I can find is the following text near the end, in which Wilson says no "alteration or modification of her institutions." Neither do we presume to suggest to her any alteration or modification of her institutions. But 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 the Reichstag majority or for the military party and the men whose creed is imperial domination. That runs against your point that Wilson pushed for democracy via force, that, in some large and serious sense, that could be understood as a part of Wilsonian doctrine. On the other hand, in support of your argument, Wilson seems to make no bones that he prefers to negotiate with the members of the Reichstag so one can easily read the sentences I've extracted above as spin relative to what was actually going on in the negotiations. Hard to decide. So far it seems to me the argument that forceful imposition is not a part of Wilsonian doctrine remains, however, gingerly. But if you have more, I would welcome reading it.