Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 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


Washington, Aug. 20.-Pres1dent
Wilson and the members of the for
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 thu end
that stable conditions OF industry, az.
Eiculture and employment be reesta-
blished. The Presidents address
which was In effect to the country.
follows:
The Presidents Statement.
I hope that this conference viii
serve to expedite your consideration
OF the treaty Of peace. beg that you
will pardon and indulge me II I 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 I'D.
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 reimbursement 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 IA,
tional advantages we held most dear.
Military Plans Wait.
Our military plans. or course, wal:
upon It, We cannot intelligontly or
wisely decide how large a naval or
military force we shall maintain or
what our policy with regard to milf.
tary training is to be until we have
peace, not only. but also until we
klOw 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
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..
such as Great Britain, Belgium and
France, will be in position to lay
their plans for controlling the markets
& central Europe, without compett.
ton from us. il we do not presently
act. We have no consular agents. no
trade representatives, there to look
after our interests.
Europe In Unsettled Condition.
There are large areas in Europe
whose future will lie uncertain and
questionable until their people know
the final settlements of peace and the
FORCES which are to administer and
sustain it. Without determinate mar
Kets our production cannot proceed
with intelligence or confidence. There
can be no easy or normal industrial
credits because there can be no con.
ndent or permanent revival OF busi- !
ness. There can be no sterilization OF !
wages because there can be no settled !
condition Of employment.
Every element of normal life |
amongst us depends upon and awaits !!
the ratification of the treaty OF peace. |
SO we cannot afford to lose single |
summers day by not doing all that
We can to mitigate the winters sui. |
tertng, which. unless we find means |
10 prevent it. may prove disastrous |
10 large portion Of the world, and |
-Snay. at the worst bring upon Europe |
conditions even more terrible than !;
those brought by the war itself.
Only Doubts Prevail.
Nothing. am led to believe. stands |
in the way of the ratification OF the [
treaty except doubts with regard to |
the meaning and implication OF Ger. |
tain articles of the covenant of the |
league of nations: and must frankly !
say that ] am unable to understand |
why such doubts should be enter !
tanned. You will recall that when I !
had the pleasure of conference with |
your committee and with the commit !
tee of the house of representatives Of
foreign affairs at the White House In
March last, the questions now most
frequently asked about the League Of
Nations were all canvassed. with a
view to their immediate clariticatton.
The covenant Of the league was then
In it's first draft and subject to revi-
sion. 1t was pointed out that no ex.
press recognition was given to the
Monroe Doctrine, that 1t was not ex-
pressly provided that the league
ahould hovo M authority w. tn ACT or to