New-York tribune., 1919-09-13
America Has the RIGHT
to Say How She Inter-
prets Terms, He Tells
His Spokane Audiences
Speech Held To Be
Sign of Recession
Sees No Harm if Con.
gress States Intention.
but Doesn't Alter Text


SPOKANE, Wash, Sept. 12-Presi-
dent Wilson, in two speeches to-
day, gave the first sign of rccedng
from his position that the peace treaty
must be adopted without change and
discussed reservations. "America," he
declared, sis at liberty to say how
she understands the articles of CO.
partnership"
Then, as if fearful that his hearers
might take too much for granted, the
President elaborated his ideas on
reservations. Answering his own
question, "Why not go in with reser-
vations?" the President clearly in
timated that if the Congress of the
United States wants to state its in
tentions over again with reference to
ratification, using other words, but
without changing the essence of the
treaty, there would be no harm in
anything that qualified the treaty must
be submitted to the conference
"And what gravels me-" he added,
lis that it will have to go to the Ger
man assembly at Weimar."
Invades Borah's State
The Presidents first speech was de-
- W. Su VHtS iiVi HAiiS iIA u tcIl III NSAE
d'Aene, Idaho, a state. represented by
Senator Borah, leader Of the "irrecon
cilable" opponents Of the treaty He ad-
dressed 5000 persons there. His sec
ond speech was made this afternoon
in the armory here.
The President at Cmur d'Alene, as
be did at Helena last night, roundly
denounced the Boston police for strik-
ing. His remarks to day followed his
reference to the condition of affairs in
Russia.
Don't mistake the signs of the
times" said he. "The poison that has
spread all through pitiful Russia is
spreading elsewhere in the world, and
sia are Disconnected just so certain
there will be upsetting Of order in
Europe and elsewhere.
Everybody who loves justice must
support the unqualified adoption Of
the treaty" continued the President.
I'VE must redeem our promise to make
war impossible or we shall be of all
men the most unfaithful." said he.
when | came back from Europe with
this treaty covering the league of ma
tions | had fulfilled the mandate of
the Congress of the United States, and
now they do not like it,"
at another point in his address, "that
there are men in public positions who
are opposed to the treaty altogether.
AS Senator Borah is in the class, the
declaration caused laughter and an
plause.
To Fight for Austrian Treaty
at was America" said the Presi-
dent, that saved the world Never let
anybody divert you from that fact.
Those who would reject the treaty
would desert the world after we have
saved it.
"The German treaty does not stand
alone" said the President. "The Aus
trian treaty has just been signed l
shall lay the Austrian treaty before the
United States Senate, and it will be
laid down along the same lines as the
German treaty"
In his Spokane speech, the President
said that the United States had come
to point where the nation must de-
termine whether to accept the one
great chance it has ever been afforded
to insure the peace of the world. He
declared the treaty was one that deals
with peoples rather than dynusties.
"Article X" he said "is an engagement
Of the most extraordinary kind in the
history Of the world, the only possible
and conceivable guarantee against the
wars that have ravaged the world"
Regarding the opposition to the
treaty the President said: ~ am
ready to fight from now until all the
fight has been taken out Of me by
death to redeem the promises of the
United States. do not allow myself
to think about 1920 when l am thinking
Of the world.
There is one element in this dis
cussion which ought not to be in it
the element of personal bitterness -
continued the President. "Go through
the list and you'll find most of the
leading Republicans Of the nation in
favor of this very treaty. If we're a
Republican l would not say am Re-
publican, but that am in favor of the
league Of nations. would say | am u
Republican. and therefore l am in
favor Of the league of nations"
The President said to judge by the
discussion one might gather that "a
fellow named Wilson" had discovered
the idea of league of nations. AS a
matter Of fact, he said, Senator Burton
and other Republican leaders for
twenty years had advocated it.