The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-05

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 4.-The tezt o.
President Wilson'S speech here to-nioh
reads:
wv FELLOW Cittsens:
So great company as this tempts
me to make speech daughter and
APPLAUSE. and yet I want to say to
you in all seriousness and soberness
that have not come here to make a
speech, in the ordinary sense of that
term.
l have come upon a very sober
errand, indeed. / have come to re
port to you upon the work which the
representatives of the United States
attempted to do at the Conference of
Peace on the other side OF the sea, :
because l realize. my fellow citizens.
that my colleagues and in the task
We attempted over there were your
servants. We went there with a dis
tinct errand, which 1t was our duty
to perform in the spirit which you
have displayed in the prosecution of
the war and In conceiving the pur-
poses and objects of that war.
l wac in the city of Columbus this
afternoon, where l was endeavorinK
to explain to a body of our fellow
the treaty OF peace contained, for I
must frankly admit that In most of
the speeches that I have heard In
debate upon the treaty of peace, IL
would be impossible to form a def
mite conception of what that instru-
ment means.
want to recall to you for the
purposes OF this evening. the circum-
stances OF the war and the purposes
Tor which our men spent their lives
on the other side of the sea.
You will remember that a prince
OF the house OF Austria was slain in
one OF the cities of Serbia. Serbia
was one Of the small Kingdoms of
Europe. She had no strength which
any of the great Powers needed to
fear AS we see the war now, Ger
many and those who conspired with
her made a pretext of that assassina-
ton in order to make unconscionabIe
demands upon the weak and helpless
kingdom of Servia. not with a view
OF bringing about an acqutescence in
those demands. but with a view to
bringing about a conflict in which
their purposes. quite separate from
the purposes connected with these
demands. could be achieved.
Just as soon as these demands
were made. other nations of Europe
sent telegraphic messages to their
representatives at Vienna and Ber-
I'm, urging them to ask the Govern
ments of Vienna and Berlin to enter
into discussion OF these matters.
Is War Was Begun PurposeIy.
I was recalling, my fellow citi-
zens. the. circumstances which began
the terrible conflict that has Just
been concluded.
So soon as, the uncomfortable de-
mands of Austria were made on Ser
bia the other Governments of Europe
sent Geographic messages to Berlin
and Vienna asking that the matter
be brought into a conference. And
the significant circumstance of the
beginning OF this war is that the
Austrian and German Governments.
did not dare to discuss the demands
on Serbia or the purpose which they
had in view.
II Is universally admitted on the
other side OF the water that II they
had gone into international confer
ence on the Austrian demands the
war never would have been begun.
There was an insistent demand from
London. for example, by the British
Foreign Minister that the Cabinets
of Europe should be given time to
confer with the Governments at
Vienna and Berlin. The Govern
ments at Vienna and Berlin did not
dare to admit time for discussion.
l am recalling these circumstances,
my fellow citizens. because I want to
point out to you what apparently has
escaped the attention of some of the
critics OF the League of Nations, that
the heart OF the League of Nations
does not lie in any OF the portions
which have been discussed in public
debate. The great bulk of the pro-
visions NJ that covenant contained
these engagements and promises on
the part of the States which under
took TO become members OF II That
in no circumstances will they go to
war without first having either sub
mitted the question to arbitration
In which case they agree to abide by
the result; or, having submitted the
question to discussion by the Coun-
eli OF the League OF Nations, in.
which case they will allow six months
for the discussion and engage not to
10 20 war until three months after