The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-04
IN HIS COUNTRYWIDE
SPEAKING TOUR
The President Said That 1t
Seemed Increasingly Nee
essary Thats He Should
Make Such a Report to
Tell the Public What the
Peace Treaty Contained.

Columbus, O., Sept. 4.-President Will
son, opening his country wide speaking
tour for the peace treaty, declared in an
address here to-day that his purpose was
to ego out and report to my fellow coun-
trymen."
"The only people | owe any report, "
said the president, "are you and the
other citizens of the United States"
The president said it also seemed Gin
creasingly necessary" that he should
make such report because he had read
many speeches about the treaty and was
unable to gather from them much of
what the treaty contained
Mr. Wilson began by saying that he
had "chafed at the confinement of Wash
ingtonn and was glad to get out to make
his report to the people"
In the first place. the president said,
the treaty undertook to punish Germany
but there was no thought of oyerwhelm-
ingly crushing any great people.
Restraint had been exercised, he said,
and there was provision for making the
reparation no greater than Germany
could pay,
Mr.. Wilson said he had been aston
ished" at statements made about the
treaty and was convinced many of them
were made by men who had not read it
or else had failed to comprehend its
meaning.
The league of nations, the president
declared, was formed in fulfillment Of
the promise that the United States was
fighting this war to "end business of
that sort" forever. Not to establish the
league, he said, would be "unfaithful" to
those who had died.
IF we do not do this thing" he de-
clared, 1--WE have neglected the central
covenant we promised our people, The
league of nations is the only thing that
can prevent the recurrence of this catas-
trophe." Besides this, the president con
tinued, the treaty tears away" the
chains of oppression and gave small ma
tionalities the right to live their own
lives THAT" he said, was the Ameri-
can position and / was glad to fight for
it." Italy, the president continued, had
presented to the conference contrary
proposal in her request for Fiume.
Though there were only scattered Ital-
ian settlements there, he declared. italy
wanted Fiume for strategic and military
purposes. If there were league of ma
tions, he asserted Italy would not need
that foothold. I'D rather have every
body on my side" he continued, "than
be armed to the teeth
Referring to criticism that the treaty
violated American traditions, Mr.. viii
son said he was proud that he, too, be-
longed to the "old revolutionary school"
and that he was following the purpose
of the vision which the fathers had seen.
This treaty is an attempt to right the
wrongs of Europe" said the president,
"and in my humble opinion it is a meas
urable success" He used the word "meas
= urable,1 he added, because racial lines
were not always distinct and could not
be drawn with absolute precision on
map.
Praising the treaty provision provid-
ing for an international labor organiza-
toa which will hold its first meeting in
Washington in October the president
said, "and let me tell you it will meet
whether the treaty is ratified by then
or not"
The president appealed to his hearers
to exert their influence for acceptance of
the treaty. Don't let men misrepresent
it, he said. When this treaty is ratified,
the men in khaki will never have to cross
the water again and | say when it is re-
ported it will be accepted.
The treaty, the president declared, was
"shot through with the American prin-
ciple of the choice of the governed"
The treaty also contains, the president
continued, Magma Charta of labor"
which would set up an international la
Dor organization. The labor section, he
said, provided what should have been
provided long ago. 1t fulfilled the tardy
realization of statesmen, he said, that
there could be no good government or
peace unless the people themselves were
satisfied.
As the president was leaving the hall,
Chinaman in the gallery called several
times, "Mr. Wilson, how about Shan
tnngY" The president apparently did not
hear him.