The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-07-19

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 Characterization of its
scope and purpose.
Problems Of Conference.
In one sense, no doubt, there Is no
need that l should report to you what
was attempted and done at Paris. You
have been daily cognizant 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 so deep
by historical circumstances which
dominated action where 1t would have
been best to ignore or reverse them.
The cross currents of politics and of
| interest must have been evident to
| you. 1t would be presuming in me to
| attempt to explain the questions which
arose or the many diverse elements
that entered into them. l shall attempt
something less ambitious than that
and more clearly suggested by my duty
to report to the congress the part it
seemed necessary for my colleagues
and me to 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 Right PeriIed.
The United States entered the war
upon a different footing from every
other nation except our associates on
this side the sea. We entered it, not
because our material interests were
directly threatened or because any spe-
cial treaty obligations to which we
were parties had been violated, but
only because we saw the supremacy
and even the validity, of right every
where put in jeopardy and free gov
eminent likely to be everywhere i'm
periled by the intolerable aggression
of power which respected neither
right nor obligation and whose very
system of government flouted the
rights Of the citizens as against the
autocratic authority of his governors
And In the settlements of the peace
we have sought no special PREPARATION
for ourselves, but only the restoration
of right and the assurance of liberty
everywhere that the effects of the set
Element were to be felt. We entered
the war as the disinterested champion:
Of right and we interested ourselves
On the terms of the peace in no Other
capacity.
United States Timely Aid.
| Lie lOpCS VI lhC hdIlODo dIl1St
against the central powers were at {
very low ebb when our soldiers begar
to pour across the sea. There was ev
erywhere amongst them, except IL
their stoutest spirits, somber fore
boding Of disaster. The war ended IL
November eight months ago, but vol
have only to recall what was feared
in midsummer last, only four shor
months before the armistice, to real
lie what 1t was that our timely aiC
accomplished alike for their morale
and their physical safety.
The first never-to-be-forgotten &C
ton at Chateau Thierry had alread,
taken place. Our redoubtable soldiers
and marines had already closed tn,
gap the enemy had succeeded in open
ing for their advance upon Paris--hat
already turned the tide of battle bacl
toward the frontiers of France ant