Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Fourteen Points?

• A. Open diplomacy
• B. Secret treaties
• C. Self-determination
• D. Freedom of the seas

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is openness in international diplomacy. Wilson’s Fourteen Points advocated a peace built on transparent, openly arrived-at agreements rather than secret bargains. That emphasis on open diplomacy would prevent the hidden deals that had helped pull nations into war and breed mistrust. In addition to open diplomacy, the plan also promoted self-determination for peoples and freedom of the seas as part of a fair, peaceful order after the conflict. Secret treaties, by contrast, run counter to that approach because they keep negotiations out of the public eye and often breed suspicion. So the statement describing secret treaties is not in line with the Fourteen Points.