The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-23
Ambassador Page Deliv-
ers Address to Distingu-
ished Audience.
TRIBUTE TO ITALY
Had Italians Not Held
I Austrians When Russia
Collapsed War Would
Have Been Lost.

Declaring that It is inconceivable
| that any man in his right senses
should not be ready to accept the
peace treaty. based on the league OF
nations, which, with the necessary
sanction Is the only hope of saving
the world from universal chaos ad-
dressed an audience of distinguished
and representative men and women
that packed the hall of the house OF
delegates to capacity, IL not almost TO
Every seat was taken
downstairs. extra chairs were placed
in the aisles and scores stood. nanKihs
| the rear walls, while this scene was
duplicated in the gallery. number.
Of Italians were scattered throusnou,
the hall.
| Mr.. PAGE believes the treaty will be
ratified. If it is not, he said. then
those who have opposed 1t success
fully have assumed a responsibility
I far more grave than any one can no"
apprehend The result OF rejection.
he believes. will be to throw Europe
back into chaos and reactionai1sn
Z, and imperialism, in the wake OF which
America may be dragged. Only the
treaty OF peace. he believes. Will save
the world from CONDITION worse
than the one we have just escaped.
] ITALY misunderstood
7 As to Italy, with all her losses, with
all her sacrifices. he said, she feels
herself isolated. neglected. misunder-
stood What she wants, must have,
! he said, is recognition. sympathy and
appreciation; recognition and appre
! citation of the part she played in the
war of the sacrifice of half million
! OF the flower OF her manhood and
million casuals.
| Had Italy not held back the Aus
| trians when Russia dtsintegrated. ha
believes the war would have been lost
/ before America entered IL.
/ Mr.. Page was introduced by DR..
| Douglas s. Freeman.
| The one virginian who contributed
more than any other man to the war.
said Mr.. Page. was President Wilson.
! The speakers reference to the presi-
dent evoked a storm applause.
The spirit OF Virginia which actuat-
ed Mr.. Wilson was pitted against i'm
peralism, he went on.
AS To TREATY
AS to ratification of the treaty, the
speaker said II can say. in the words
OF the British premier, II Is con-
ceivabie that any man in his right
senses should not be ready to accept
the treaty based on the league OF
nations, which, with the necessary
sanction. is the only hope Of saving
the world from universal chaos, The
published report that Lloyd Georges
reference TO the treaty was received
with laughter, II not derision. is false
He, as we'll az what he had to say. was
received with the utmost respect by
the congress-
Mr.. Page believes the treaty Of
( -
| IL is not" he added. then those men
who have opposed it successfully have
assumed responsibility far more
graver than any one now can appre-
, bend. The result Of rejection will be
to fling Europe hack into chaos and
reactionalism and Imperialism. and
the American continent may be finally
dragged in It's wake"
Patriotism In the upper house. how
ever, will prevail. he believes. The
treaty OF peace. he believes. alone can
than the one we have Just escaped.
SPIRIT OF VIRGINIA
The spirit which animated America
and Virginia In the war, he said. ami
| mated Italy. and the italian people,
headed by King Victor Emmanuel III.
What italy undertook ana accom-
plished In the war Is not entirely un-
derstood in America, he said. What
che endured and performed IL not
known heres Italy. he said. is not en-
tireiy known in Virginia. Without
that which Italy assumed and endur-
ed in the war, the result would have
| been far different. he said.
Italy's part in the war. he said.
was badly managed at hrst.
The passion OF Italians Is in round
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