Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07
TREATY IS PERNEA TED WITH PRINCIPLES
TO WHICH AMERICA HAS DEVOTED HER LIFE,
PRESIDENT SA VS. IN KANSAS CITY ADDRESS

! BY the Associated Press.
/ KANSAS CITY. Mo. September 6.
! Following is the text of President
! Wilson's address here today:
Il came back from Paris, bringing
! one OF the greatest documents of hu-
| man history. One of the things that
/ made it great was that it was pene-
! trated throughout with the princi-
pies to which America has devoted
! her life. Let me hasten to say that
/ one of the most delightful circum
stances of the work on the other side
of the water was that l discovered
! that what We called American prin
| ciples had penetrated 10 the heart
i and to the understanding, not only of
, the great peoples of Europe but to
! the hearts and understandings of the
great men who were representing the
peoples of Europe.
+; Il think that | can say that one of
the things that America has had most
! at heart throughout her existence
{ has been that there should be sub
{ stituted for the brutal processes of
! war the friendly processes of consul
| tation and arbitration. and that is
done in the covenant Of the league of
| nations. l am very anxious that my
! fellow citizens should realize that
/ that is the chief topic OF the covenant
OF the league of nations. the greater
! part of it's provisions.
j Speaks of Intent Of Covenant.
THE whole intent and purpose of
the document are expressed in pro-
visions by which all the member
states agree that they will never go
| to war without first having done one
or the other or two things. either sub
mitted the matter in controversy u
arbitration. in which case they agree
/ to abide by the verdict, or submitting
| II to discussion in the council of the
| league of nations, and for that pur-
/, pose they consent to allow six months
! for the discussion, and whether they
! like the opinion expressed or not, that
| they VIII not go to war for three
| months after that opinion has been
| expressed, so that you have, whether
| you get arbitration or not, nine
months discussion, and L want to re-
mind you that that is the central
principle of some thirty treaties en-
| tered into between the United States
! OF America and some thirty other
, sovereign nations, all OF which are
/ confirmed by the Senate Of the United
States.
! Cites Similar Agreements.
We have such an agreement with
! France. we have such an agreement
with Great Britain. we have such. an
] agreement with practically every great
nation except Germany. which re-
; fused to enter into such an arrange
| ment because, my fellow citizens.
Germany knew that she intended
something that didn't bear discus
sion and that If she had submitted
the purpose which led to this war to
so much as one months discussion
| she never would have dared go into
the enterprise against mankind, which
| she finally did go into (appiause), and
! therefore l say that this principle of
adopted by America. And what is the
! compulsion to do this? The compuI-
sion is this. that il any member state
/ violates that promise to submit either
! to arbitration or discussion. ii is
! thereby ipso facto deemed to have
committed an act Of war against ali
the rest: Then you will. ask. do we
at once take up arms and fight them:
more terrible than that We absolutely
! boycott them.
! Let any merchant put up to him.
J self that If he enters into a covenant
[ and then breaks it and the people all
| around absolutely desert his establish
ment and will have nothing to do with
| him, ask him after that il 1t will be
necessary to send the police, The most
| terrible thing that can happen to any
! individual and the most conclusive
/ thing that can happen to a nation Is to
be read out of decent society tapplause).
Disarmament Planned.
! There was another thing that we
! needed to accomplish that is accom-
/ plished in this document We wanted
| disarmament and this document pro-
| vides in the only possible way for dis
! armament by common agreement. OBJ
serve. my fellow citizens. that just now
every great fighting nation in the world
| Is member OF this partnership except
! Germany. and inasmuch as Germany
has accepted a Limitation of her army
| to 100000 men, l don't think for the
! time being she may be regarded as a
great fighting nation.
| And you know. my fellow citizens,
| that ornaments mean great standing
| armies, and great stores Of war ma
te.ials. They do not mean burden
some taxation merely: they do not
mean i,erely compulsory military
service. which saps the economic
strength OF the nation, but they mean
the building up of a military class.
Again and again. my fellow citizens,
/ in the conference at Paris, we were face
| to face with this situation: That in
eminent we found that they would
not dare to promise what their gem
eral staff was not willing that they
| should promise; and that they were
dominated by the military machine
! which they had created. nominally for
. their own defense, but really
whether they willed it or motor
the provocation of war. And SO. as
iiong as you have a military class. it
dos not make any difference what
your form OF government is. II You
teeth, you must obey the orders and
directions Of the only men who can
control the great machinery of war.
1t IL not merely the cost of II (arma-
Iment) although that IL overwhelming.
hut IL Ia the. shirt of It and Ameriea