The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-08-21
Says He Sees No Reasonable
Objection to Reservations
Concerning League
of Nations.
CONFERENCE At WHITE HOUSE
President Asserts United States
Surrenders No Powers and
May Withdraw at Will.

SVl1RSS ApSt ol llC oVS AoSS
day to discuss the peace treaty.
The president opened the discussion
by impressing on the senators the
urgency Of prompt ratification of the
treaty without amendments and with
out reservations that would require re-
submission Of the treaty to the other
signatOries. especially Germany.
The president said that the interests
Of every class of people, the farmers,
Industrial workers and employers, de-
manded prompt ratification to the end
that stable conditions Of industry, agri-
culture and employment: be reestab-
lished. The presidents address, which
was in effect an address to the coun-
try, follows:
II hope that this conference will
serve to expedite your consideration Of
the treaty OF peace. / beg that you
will pardon and indulge me if | again
urge that practically the whole task of
bringing the country back to normal
conditions of life and industry waits
upon the decision Of the senate with
regard to the terms OF peace.
II venture thus again to urge my
advice that the action of the senate
with regard to the treaty be taken at
the earliest practicable m be-
aus the problems with which we are
face to face In the REIMBURSEMENT Of our
national life are Of the most pressing
and critical character. They will re-
quire for their proper solution the
most intimate and DISTINGUISHED CO.
operation OF all parties and all inter-
ests, and cannot Ue postponed Without
manifest peril to our people and 10 all
the national advantages we hold most
dear.
The copper mines of Montana, Ari-
iona and Alaska, for example are be-
ing kept open and in operation only at
q great cost and loss, III part upon
borrowed money. The zinc mines Of
Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin
are Icing operated ut about one-half
their capacity. The lead of Idaho. Ill
inois and Missouri reaches only Il por-
ton Of its former market. There is an
immediate need for cotton betting, and
also for ~lubricating oil, which cannot
be met, all because the channels Of
trade are barred by war when there is
no war. The same is true Of raw cot
ton, OF which the central empires alone
formerly purchased nearly four million
bales; and these are only examples.
There is hardly ii single raw material,
q single important foodstuff or q single
class Of manufactured goods which is
not in the same case. Our full, normal
profitable production waits on peace.
Our military plans, Of course, wait
upon it. We cunno intelligently or
wisely decide how large IL naval or
military force W. should maintain or
what our policy with regard to mill
tary training is to be until we have
peace not only, but also until we know
how peace is to be sustained, whether
by :he arms of single nations or by the
concerI Of all the great peoples. And
there is more than that difficulty i'll
volved. The vast surplus properties Of
the army include. not food and cloth
Ing merely, whose sale will affect nor
NAL production, but great manufacture
ing establishments also, which should
be restored to their former uses, great
stores Of machine tools and all sorts Of
merchandise which must lie idle until
peace and military policy are definitely
; determined.
The nations that ratify the treaty,
such as Great Britain, Belgium and
France, will be In d position To lay
their plans for controlling the mar
kets Of central Europe, without COM
petition from us, if we do not pres
E,ently act. We have no consular agents.
10 lrads representatives there to look
after our interests.
There are large areas Of Europe
whose future will lie uncertain and
questionable until their people know
final settlements of peace and the
forces which are to administer and
sustain it. Without determinate mar
ketS our production cannot proceed
with Intelligence or confidence. There
can be no easy or normal Industrial
| credits because there can be no conf
dent OF permanent revival Of business.
There can be no stabilization of wages
| because there can be no settled condi-
tion Of employment.
Every element Of normal life
amongst Is depends upon and awaits
| the ratification of the treaty Of peace,
and we cannot afford to lose Il single
summers day by not doing all that we
| can IL mitigate the winters suffering,
which. unless we find means to pre-
vent il. may prove disastrous to a
large portion OF the world, and may. at
its worst, bring upon Europe condi-
lions even more terrible than those
brought by the wal itself.
"Nuth'Hg. ! am led to believe, stands
I'm the way Of the ratification Of the
treaty except doubts with regard 70
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