The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-08-22
Says He Sees No Reasonable
Objection to Reservations
as to League of Nations.
CONFERENCE AT WHITE HOUSE
President Asserts United States
Surrenders No Powers and
May Withdraw at Will

eign relations committee of the senate
met at the White House, Tuesday, to
discuss the peace treaty.
The President opened the discus
sion by impressing upon the sena-
tors the urgent ratification Of the
treaty without amendments and with
out reservations that would require
resubmission of the treaty to the
other signatories, especially Germany.
The President said that the interest
of every class of people, the farmers,
industrial workers, and employers, de-
manded prompt ratification to the end
that stable conditions of industry, ag-
riculture and employment be reesta-
blished. The Presidents address
which was in effect to the country,
follows:
The Presidents Statement.
| hope that this conference will
serve to expedite our 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 nor
NAL conditions of life and industry
waits upon the decision of the senate
with regard to the terms of the peace.
venture thus again to urge my ad-
vice that the action of the senate
with regard to the treaty be taken at
the earliest practicable moment, be.
cause the problems with which we are
face to face in the readjustment of our
national life are of the most pressing
and critical character, will require for
their proper solution the most init
mate and disinterested cooperation of
all parties and all interests, and can
not be postponed without manifest
peril to our people and to all the ma,
tional advantages we held most dear.
Military Plans Wait.
Our military plans, of course, wait
upon it. We cannot intelligently or
wisely decide how large a naval or
military force we shall 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 the arms of single nations
or by the concert of all great peoples,
And there is more than that diff.
Guilty involved The vast surplus prop.
critics of the army include, not food
and clothing merely, whose sale will
affect normal production, but great
manufacturing establishments also
which should be restored to their for
l mer uses, great stores of machine
tools, and all sorts of machinery
which must lie idle until peace and
military policies are definitely deter
mined.
The nations that ratify the treaty
9 such as Great Britain, Belgium anC
France, will be In a position to la.
y their plans for controlling the market
of central Europe. without competi
g tion from us, If we do not PRESENT..
: act. We have no consular agents, n,
$ trade representatives, there to lool
after our interests.
Europe In Unsettled Condition.
There are large areas in Europ'
whose future will lie uncertain an,
e questionable until their people know
o the final settlements of peace and tn
d forces which are to administer an
sustain 1t. Without determinate maj
kets our production cannot procee
: with intelligence or confidence. Their
can be no easy OF normal industris
credits because there ear be no col
fident or permanent revival of bus
ness. There can be no sterilization {
wages because there can be no settle
condition of employment.
Every element of normal lii
amongst us depends upon and await
the ratification of the treaty Of peac'
So we cannot afford to lose a singl
summers day by not doing all ths
We can to mitigate the winters su
fering, which, unless we find NEAR
to prevent 1t, may prove disastrol
to a large portion OF the world. an
may, at the worst, bring upon EuroI
conditions even more terrible tha
those brought by the war itself.
Only Doubts PrevaiI.
Nothing, ! am led to believe, stant
In the way of the ratification of Il
treaty except doubts with regard
the meaning and implication of &c
tain articles OF the covenant OF Il
league of nations; and I must frank
say that / am unable to understaI
why such doubts should be ente
tanned. You will recall that when
had the pleasure Of a conference wi
your committee and with the comm
tee of the house of representatives
foreign affairs at the White House
March last, the questions now mo
frequently asked about the League
Nations were all canvassed, with
view to their immediate clarif1catio
The covenant of the league was tn
In its first draft and subject to re
sion. 1t was pointed out that no {
press recognition was given to t
Monroe Doctrine, that 1t was not {
pressly provided that the leag
should have no authority to act or
express q judgment on matters of (
nestle policy. that the right to wit