The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-25
DECLARES ALLIES
CANNOT ABANDON
WILSON'S TERMS
Would Give Germany Excuse
to Refuse to Abide by Arm
istice, Says Lewis.
(By Associated Press)

NEW YORK, Jan. Ex-senator
James Hamilton Lewis of Illinois,
speaking today before the Lawyers
Club in support of the proposal for a
league Of nations, declared that the
American government in the peace
settlement could not abandon a single
one of President Wilson's fourteen
principles without laying itself open to
the charge of perfidy.
Germany, Senator Lewis said would
have the right to refuse to abide by
the terms of the armistice, the allies
would be justified in Withdrawing from
the peace table and all small nations
or aspiring peoples fighting with the
United States on the basis of the
presidents proposals would be excus.
ed before the world in turning from
America.
"The peace was made by Germany
and her people on terms of fourteen
points proposed by the United States
including the proposal of league of ma
tions for future peace" said Senator
Lewis. "These were adopted by the
allies as their only terms of peace and
all accepted as the basis by Italy, the
Balkans and Turkey. It is impossible
for the United States to withdraw
one Of her terms or postpone one or
omit or to press one-without giving
Germany the right then and there to
refuse to abide by the terms of the
armistice in any particular. She could
refuse to deliver her cannon and arms
as agreed. The people Of Germany
would be justified in charging US with
fraud on them and turn against us
and support any force against our
soldiers. The allies would be justified
in accusing us of trickery and with
draw from the table.
Opens Perfidy Charge.
Every little nation or aspiring
people fighting with us on the basis
of our proposals de January 8, 1918,
would be excused before the world in
turning from us and assailing us for
perfidy to them. Then resenting it
by allying themselves with any foes
of the United States-this on the
ground that our contracts and agree
ments were delusions and a fraud and
our trea ties of peace but scraps of
paper We would be the perfidious
traitors to solemn compacts and the
one nation whose word would sing as
low as was that of Prussia when her
deceptions and lies brought her to des-
truction in the indignation of civiliza-
ton.
"The very last and first of the cove
nants we made to Germany as basis
Of peace, as that all nations qualified
as civilized should league to prevent
war in all future. This was the one
principle on which the German people
took our terms of peace and withheld
further arms and armies to Germany.
1t was on this basis as the guaranty
of future peace in Europe that Brita in
and France accepted the terms of the
United States. On this one rock we
built our house. To this house come
all the nations. Can we now violate
the honor of our household and prove
ourselves in word of nation another
imperial Prussia? 1t is now ques-
tion of American honor. 1t cannot be
violated to accommodate political
party issues or to crafty raciel or ma
tional hatreds. Justice demands that
we hold fast to every covenant and
upon our plighted faith, for which our
sons died. that the word of nations
should ever be holy, for this we pledge
the vow of sacred Peter
"'On this rock we build our house
and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it,"