The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-08-23
Wilson Tells Senator's That Al
Hinges on Action They
Take on Treaty.
U. S. Trade AT STANDS1ILl
Executive Declares the Markets OF
World Are Slipping From Amer
ica's Grasp-Speedy Action
Is Needed.

that he could see no reasonable OBJ
.ectun" to interpretations of how thu
United States accepts the League OF
Nations. provided such interpretations
did bot form part of the formal rati
tication itself.
If interpretations were made part OF
the formal ratification, the presiden'
contended, long delays would follow,
MS other governments, including Ger
many, would have to accept in effect
the language of the senate as the Ian
guage of the treaty before ratification
would be complete" Most of the in
terpretations, the president said
seemed TO him to suggest the plain
meaning of the instrument itself"
Urges Quick Action.
The president began his conference
with the committee at the White
House with an opening statement oil
the peace treaty and the League OF
Nations. In part he said:
"Mr. Chairman: l am sincerely glad
that the committee should have re-
sponded in this way to my intimation
that | would like to be of service to it.
welcome the opportunity fora frank
and full Interchange Of views.
Il hope, too, that this conference
will serve to expedite your considera,
tiiorr IF the treaty of sl,eaaes beg that
you will pardon and indulge me If !
again urge that practically the whole
task of bringing the country back to
normal conditions Of life and industry
waits upon the decision of the senate
with regard to the terms Of the peace.
II venture thus again to urge my ad-
vice that the action of the senate with
regard to the treaty be taken at the
earliest practicable moment, because
the problems with which, we are face
to face in the readjustment of our ma
tlonal life are of the most pressing
and critical character, will require for
their proper solution the most intimate
and disinterested cooperation Of all
parties and all interests and cannot be
postponed without manifest peril to
our people and to all the national ad-
vantages, we hold most dear. May
mention a few of the matters which
cannot be handled with intelligence
until this country knows the character
of the peace it is to have? do so only
by very few examples.
Trade Channels Arc Blocked.
"The copper mines of Montana and
Alaska for example, are being kept
open and in operation only DIT great
cost and loss, in part upon borrowed
money and zinc mines of Missouri
Tennessee and Wisconsin are being
operated at about one-half their ca
pacity; the lead Of Idaho, Illinois and
Missouri reaches only portion of its
former market; there is an immediate
need for cotton betting and also for
lubricating oil which cannot be met
all because the channels of trade are
barred by war when there is no war
There is hardly single raw material
single important foodstuff or a single
class of manufactured goods which is
not in the same case, normal profitable
production waits on peace.
"Our military plans, of course, wait
upon it. We cannot intelligently or
wisely decide how large naval or
military force we shall maintain or
what our policy with regard to mill
tary training is to be until we have
peace, not only, but also until we know
how peace is to be sustained, whether
by the arms of single nations or by the
concert of all the great peoples.
"There are large areas of Europe
whose future will lie uncertain and
questionable until their people know
the final settlement of peace and the
forces which are to administer and
sustain 1t.
without determinate markets our
production cannot proceed with intel
ligence or confidence. There can be
no stabilization of wages because there
can be no settled conditions of EN-.
There can be no easy, nor
normal industrial credits, because there
can be no confident or permanent re-
viyal of business.
But will not weary you with OBJ
=eeious examples. | VIII only venture
80 repeat that every element Of normal
ife amongst us depends upon and
waits the ratification Of the treaty of
3eace, and alGo that we cannot afford
10 lose ass summers day by not
Icing all ii. e can to mitigate the
winters suffering, whic.s Unless we