The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1919-07-30
WILSON'S MESSAGE
ON FRENCH TREATY

Washington, July 29.-President
Wilson's message to the Senate fol
lows
Gentlemen of the Senate: | take
pleasure in laying before you treaty
with the republic of France, the OBJ.
ject of which is Immediate military
assistance to France Of the United
States of America in case of an un.
provoked movement of aggression
against her on the part of Germany.
/ earnestly hope that this treaty will
meet with your approval and will re-
ceive an early ratification at your
hands, along with the treaty of peace
with Germany. Now that you have
had an opportunity to examine the
great document l presented to you
two weeks ago, it seems opportune 10
lay before you this treaty which is
meant to be in effect a part of it.
| was signed ON the same day with
the treaty of peace and is inteded as
temporary supplement to it. 1t is
believed that the treaty with Germany
itself provides protection to France
against aggression from her recent
enemy on the east; but the years i'm.
mediately ahead of us contain many
incalculable possibilities The cove
nant of the League of Nations pro
vides for military action for the pro-
lection of its members only upon adj
vice of the council of the league-ai.
vice given, it is to be presumed, only
upon deliberation and acted upon by
each of the governments of the mem
Der states only if its own Judgment
jnstifies such action. The object Of
the special treaty with France which
| now submit to you is to provide for
immediate assistance to France by the
United States in case of any unpro-
voked movement of aggression
against her by Germany without wait
ing for the advice of the council of
the League of Nations that such ac-
tor be taken. 1t is to be an arrange
ment not independent of the League
of Nations, hit under it.
1t is, therefore, expressly provided
that this treaty shall be made the sub
ject of consideration at the same time
with the treaty of peace with Ger
many; that this special arrangement
shall receive the approval of the coun-
ell of the league, and that this special
provision for the safety of France
shall remain in force until, upon ap-
plication of one of the parties to it,
the council of the league, acting, if
necessary, by majority vote, shall
agree that the provisions of the cove
nant of the league afford her sufficient
protection.
| was moved to sign this treaty by
considerations which will, | hope,
as persuasive and as irresistible
to you as they seem to me. We are
bound to France by ties of friendship
which we have always regarded and
shall always regard as peculiarly sa-
cred. She assisted us to win our free
Tom as a nation. 1t is seriously to be
it without her gallant and timely aid.
doubted whether we could have won
it without her gallant and timely aid.
We have recently had the privilege
Of assisting in driving enemies, who
were also enemies of the world from
her soil; but that does not pay our
debt to her. Nothing can pay such a
debt. She now desires that we
should promise to lend our great force
to keep her safe against the power
she has had most reason to fear.
Another gerat nation volunteers the
same promise. 1t is one of the fine
reversals of history that the other ma
ton should be the very power from
whom France fought to set us free.
A new day has dawned. Old antag-
Unisms are forgotten. The enlighten-
ment has created new comradeships
and g new perception of what tit is
wise and necessary for great nations
to do to free the world of intolerable
fear. Two governments who wish to
be members Of the League of Nations
ash leave of the council of the league
to De permitted to go to the assistance