The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-11
TREATY WILL
BEAR THE TEST
Not What Any One Of Nation
al Delegates Would Have
Written, Wilson Explains.
COMPROMISES INEVITABLE
Squares, as a Whole, With the
Necessities of the Interna-
tional Situation.
COMPROMISES INEVITABLE

WASHINGTON. July 1o.-The tcrt
Of President Wilson's address to the
senate to-day foliotcs:
"GENTIEMEN OF THE SENATE: The
treaty OF peace with Germany was
signed at Versailles or the 2Sth of
June. avail myself Of the earliest
opportunity to lay the treaty before
you for ratification and TO inform you
with regard to the work of the con-
ference by which that treaty was
formulated.
The treaty constitutes nothing less
than a world settlement. 1t would not
be possible for me either to summarize
or TO construe its manifold provisions
IN an address which must of necessity
be something less than a treatise. My
Services and all the information I
POSSESS will he at your disposal and
at the disposal OF your Committee on
Foreign Relations at any time. either
informally or in session. as you may
prefer. and l hope that you will not
hesitate to make use of them. shall
at this time. prior to your own study
OF the document, attempt only a gem
eral characterization of its scope and
purpose.
I'm one sense, no doubt. there is no
need that I should report to you what
was attempted and done at Paris. You
nave been daily cognizant of what was
going on there. of the problems with
| which the Peace Conference had to deal
ana OF the difficulty OF laying down
straight lines OF settlement anywhere on
field on which the old lines OF inter-
national relationship and the new alike
followed so intricate pattern and were
for the most part cut so deep by his
torical circumstances which dominated
action where It would have been best to
ignore or reverse them
The cross currents OF politics and OF
Interest must have been evident to you.
1t would be presuming in me to attempt
to explain the questions which arose or
the many diverse elements that entered
into them. shall attempt something
less ambitious than that and more
clearly suggested by my duty TO report
to the Congress the part It seemed nee
essary for my colleagues and me TO plav
as the representatives of the Govern
ment OF the United States.
That part was dictated bv the role
America had played la the war and by
the expectations that had been created
in the minds Of the peoples with whom
We had associated ourselves in that great
struggle.
Why U. 4. Entered the War.
The United States entered the war
upon different footing from every other
nation, except our associates on this side
the sea. We entered II not because our
material interests were directly threat
ened or because any special treaty obli-
cations TO which we were parties had
been violated but only because we saw
the supremacy. and even the validity.
Of right everywhere put in teopardy
and free government likely TO be every
where imperilled by the intolerable ae-
gression Of Power which respected
neither right nor obligation, and whose
very system of government nouted the
rights of the citizen. as against the
And in the settlements of the peace
we have sought no special reparation for
ourselves, but only the restoration of
right and the assurance OF liberty
everywhere that the effects OF the settle
| ment were to be felt We entered the
war as the disnterested champions Of
right and We interested ourselves In the
terms OF peace IN no other capacity.
The hopes OF the nations allied
against the Central Powers were at a
very low ebb when our soldiers began
to pour across the sea. There was
! everywhere amongst them. except in
! their stoutest spirits. n sombre fore
boding OF disaster. The war ended in
November, eight months ago. but YOU
, have only TO recall what was feared in
, midsummer last. four short months be-
fore the armistice. 10 realize what It was
| that our timely aid accomplished alike
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