The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1919-07-17
PRESIDENT MAKES
PLEA FOR TREATY
BEFORE SENATE
Makes Assertion That League OF
Free Nations Has Become
practical Necessity
MEANS RELIEF FROM WAR
Chief Executive Refers to II as an
indispensable lnstrumentality fer
the Maintenance Of the New
Order Set Up in World"

Washington, July 1O.-The senate
was called into session al II o'clock
and prayer offered by the chaplain,
Rev. Forrest J. Prettyman. who asked
divine guidance for the senate and the
chief executive in the work ii was
about to undertake.
President Wilson spoke from a small
rostrum erected by the desk of the
reading clerk of the senate.
His address was as follows:
Gentlemen OF the Senate:
The treaty of peace with Germany
was signed at Versailles on the 2Sth
b. 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 confer
ence by vhich that treaty was fOrmu-
lated.
The treaty constitutes nothing less
than world settlement. II would not
be possible for me even 10 summarize
or to construe its manifold provisions
In an address which must of necessity
De something less than u treatise. My
tervices and nl the information ! pos
tess will be AT your disposal and AZ
the disposal of your committee on
foreign relations a. any time either
informally or in session. as You may
prefer; and | 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 general chara cterization OF its
scope and purpose.
Problems Of Conference.
In one sense. no doubt, there is no
need that should report to you what
cas- attempted and done AT Paris You
have been daily cognzant of what was
going on thereof the problems with
which the peace conference had TO deal
and of the difficulty of laying down
straight lines of settlement anywhere
on field on which the old lines of in
ternational relationship. and the new
alike, followed so intricate a pattern
and were for the most part cut 50 deep
by historical 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. II would be presuming in me TO
attempt 10 explain the questions which
arose or the many diverse elements
that entered into them. I shall attempt
something less ambitious than that
and more clearly suggested by my duty
to report to the congress the part II
seemed necessary for my colleagues
and me 10 play as the representatives.
OF the government of the United
States.
That part was dictated by the role
America has played in 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.
Saw Supremacy Of Fight Periled.
The United States entered the war
upon a different footing from every
other nation except our associates on
this side the sea. We entered II. not
because orr material interests were
directly threatened OF because any spe-
ciai treaty obligations 10 which we
were parties had been violated. but
only because we SAW the supremacy.
and even the validity. Of RICH, every
where put IN jeopardy and free gov
eminent likely 10 be everywhere i'm
periied by the intolerahle aggression
RI a power which respected neither
right nor obligation and whose very
system OF government fiouted the
rights of the citizens as against the
autucratic authority 81 his governors.
And IN the settlements Of the peace
we have sought no special rrpamii0n
for ourselves hat only the restoration
Of right and the assurance Of liberty
everywhere that the effects ~ The set
tloment were 10 be felt. We entered
the war as the disirierested champions
Of right and we interested ourselves
in the terms Of ihe peace IN 20 olher
capacity.
United States Timely Aid
The hopes Of the nations allied
against the central powers were ~
very low ehb when our soldiers began
10 pour across the aea. There was es-
erywhere amongst them. except in
their stou.est spirits. q sOmber fore
hoding OF disaster. The war ended IN
eight months ago. but you
have only TO recall what was feared /
In midsummer last. only four short I
months before the armistice. 10 real /
lie what II Was that our timely aid I
accomplished alike for their morale /
and their physical safety.
The first. neyer-tO-be-forgoften ac-
ton at Chateau Thierry had already /
taken place. Our redOubiable soldiers /
and marines had already closed the
gap the enemy had succeeded In open
Ing fer their advance upon Paris-hau
already turned the tide Of battle back /