Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1917-01-25
PLANS WORLD
PEACE LEAGUE
PRESIDENT BREAKS PRECEDENT
OF CENTURY BY PERSONAL
ADDRESS TO SENATE
Explains Why He Believes Time IL
Here For U. S. To Change Policy
of Isolation

washington, Jan. ZZ.--IfeSlQenC
Wilson in personal address to the
senate today laid down the, question
of whether the United States shall
depart from it's traditional policy of
isolation and no tangling alliances and
take part in world league to pre-
serve peace after the war.
Shattering precedent of more than
a century, the president, regarding
the senate with it's treaty-Haking
power as his counsellor in foreign af-
fairs, explained Why he believed the
time had come for the world to know
Americas position and discuss the
underlying causes on which he be-
lieves q permanent peace of the world
can be maintained.
While President Wilson was speak
ing directly to the senators after the
manner of Washington, Madison and
Adams, his address was in the hands
of all foreign governments or on. its;
way to them.
No such history-making event, with
such far-reaching possibilities to the
United States, probably ever had BEEN
seen in the senate chamber.
League of Nations
In the background of the fundas-
mental proposition of whether the.
United States should alter the foreign
policy, laid down by Washington, and
carried out by long line of presi-
dents, was the possibility that out Of
some such league of nations might
come the way to end the present war
No other president has addressed
either branch of congress separately
since Thomas Jefferson in 1901. In
fact nrnciIn~< nll L.
gress IN joint session since that time.
until President Wilson revived the
custom in 1913.
Although no official explanation Of
the presidents precedent-making ac--
tion was given in advance, it became-
known to Senator Stone, chairman. OF
the foreign relations committee, and
other senators in touch with foreign
affairs that the president felt the
time had come when the senate, which,
is clothed with the treatv-m akinyn-
power, should be informed. of the.
status of the government to bind the.
nations together in some sort Us a,
league to prevent recurrence Of war-.
Tremendous Ovation
For nearly q half hour the presi-
dent spoke, with members of the SEN
ate, members of the cabinet and pack
ed galleries listening with rapt at
tention. When he concluded there
was tremendous burst of applause
Senator'S generally reserved CON-
ment on the presidents address, but
some Republicans said they were op-
posed to both the "propriety and sub
stance"
Peace Of Victory Inadequate
The president said that he believed
no peace which was peace of victory
in the present war would be perma-
nent peace and that it must be taken
for granted that peace "must be fol-
lowed by some definite concert of
power which will make it virtually
impossible that any such catastrophe.
should ever overwhelm us again"
At another point the president said:
mo covenant Of cooperative peace
that does not include the peoples Of
the new world can suffice to keep the
future safe against war;"
At that point, the president went or,
TO say:
IF the peace presently to be made
8 to endure, it must be peace made
secure by the organized major force
# mankind.'
Equality of Rights
"The equality of nations upor
which peace must be founded, if it is
% last, must be an equality of rights"
Then, he said, the end of the war
must see not balance of power but
| community of power, mot organ
zed rivalries but an organized COM
non peace"
In holding out the expectation that
he United States would join other
lations in League for Peace" the
resident declares it must be clear
to every man who can think that.
here is in this promise no breach in
ur traditions of our policy as a ma
ion, but fulfillment rather of all
hat we have professed in or striven1
or"
The president said in conclusion:
81 am proposing as it were that the
alton should with one accord adopt
he doctrine of President, Munroe as
he doctrine of the world; that no ma
ion should seek to extend its policy
yer any other nation, or people, but
hat every people should be left free.
, determine its own policy. its owr
'ays of development, unhindered, un-
nreatened. unafraid, the little along
nth the great and powerful"