pirations of the peoples for lasting peace. We must bear
this fact in mind and must seek to reach other, more pro-
pitious results. This applies both to the peace treaty with
Italy which we are considering today, and to the other
peace treaties.
I
THE MAIN TASKS OF THE CONFERENCE
What is our main task?
It is to ensure that the peace treaty we are considering
really -conforms to the interests of the peoples, who desire
lasting and stable peace. It -must be a democratic peace,
which cannot allow the aggressor to go unpunished, nor fail
to take account of the sacrifices sustained in the great libera-
tion struggle, the struggle for our common victory. At the
same time a democratic peace must create better auspices
for the development of friendly relations among all nations
which desire security and are prepared to give a concerted
rebuff to all attempts at new aggression.
It is precisely for this reason that a democratic peace
must be directed against fascism. It must facilitate the
extirpation of the vestiges of fascism and of all its new
varieties, and it must give every encouragement to the es-
tablishment of democratic principles in the former enemy
states. The conditions of such a peace must contain nothing
humiliating to the sovereignty of the given country, Italy,
say, and nothing that might lead to.its economic enthralment
by other, stronger Powers. iSuch a peace must conform to
the liberation aims for which the Allies fought, and at the
same time must conform to the interests of the peoples of
the former enemy states who have thrown off the yoke of
fascism and taken the path of democratic development.
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