The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-08
TEXT OF SPEECH IN OMAHA

Germans II | may read the treaty to
them expressed in the words the United
States senate thinks 1t ought to have
been written in? So you see, the res
ervations come down to this. that they
want to change the language of the
treaty without changing its meaning;
and let me say. there are indications
Il am not judging from official dis
patches. but from the ewspapers--that
people are not in as good a humor
over in France now as they were when
was there, and it is going to be more
difficult to get new agreement from
now on than 1t was before. and after
dealing with some OF these gentlemen.
/ found that they were as ingenious as
any American in attaching unexpected
meanings to plain words. | don't want,
therefore, having gone through the mill
on the existing language, to 80 through
it again on changed language.
Dissatisfied About Shantung.
But / must not turn away from this
great subject without attention to the
Shantung clause, the provision with re-
gard to the transfer of certain German
rights in that province of Shantung,
China, to Japan. / frankly said to my
japanese colleagues at the conference
therefore, | can without improperly
say 1t here-that ] was very deeply us
satisfied with that part of the treaty.
But, my fellow citizens, Japan agreed
Il
understanding upon which these clauses
were put into the treaty. that she would
reinqliSh every item of sovereignty
that Germany had enjoyed, to China.
and she would retain what other ma
tons have elsewhere in China, certain
economic concessions with regard to the
railways and the mines. which she was
to operate under a corporation and sub
ject to the laws of China. AS l say.
l wish she could have done more, but
suppose, as some have suggested. that
we dissent from that clause in the
treaty. You can't sign all of treaty
but one part, my fellow citizens; it is
like the presidents Veto he can't veto
provisions of a bill: he has g0c Ger
to sign the bill or veto We can't sign
the treaty with the Shantung provision
out of it. and if we could. what sort
of service would that be doing China?
If felt that | personally, in any way,
stood in the way OF this settlement, !
would be glad to die that it might be
consummated because | have vision,
my fellow citizens, that if this thing
should by some mishap, not be accom- :
plished, there would arise from that
upon the fair name of this people a
stain which never could be effaced,
which would be intolerable to every
lover of America, intolerable to every
man who knew America and was ready
with stout heart to uphold 1t.
81 said Just now, before opening, that
I was happy to forget on campaign
like this what party l belong to, and
| hope you will not think am recalling
what party l belong to if | say how
proud | have been to stand alongside
Of Senator Hitchcock in this fight.
would be lust as glad to stand by Sena
tor Norris If he would let me.
Not Voices We Most Wish to Hear.
1.-THE heart of America beats in these
great prairies and on these hillsides
sometimes in Washington you seem very
far away. The voices that are most
audible in Washington are not voices
that anybody cares to listen to for very
long and it is refreshing to me to get
out among the great body of my fel-
low citizens and feel the touch Of the
hand and contact of the shoulder ana
the impulse of mass movement which
is going to make conquest. spiritual
conouest of the world.