St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1919-08-02
New Day Has Dawned,"
President Tells Senate
Urges Prompt Ratification of French
Defense Treaty as Partial Payment
for Aid in Gaining Our Freedom

Gentlemen of the Senate: | take
pleasure in laying before you a treaty
with the Republic of France, the OBJ
ject of which is to secure to that re-
public the immediate aid of the Uni
ted States of America il case of any
unprovoked movement OF ag2rez sion
against her on the part of Germany.
earnestly hope that this treaty will
meet with your cordial approval ard
will receive an early ratification at
your hands, along with the treaty of
peace with Germany. Now that you
| have had an opportunity to examine
the great document / present to you
to lay before you this treaty, which is
meant to be in efefct a part of it.
1T was signed on the same day
with the treaty of peace and is in
tended as temporary supplement to
peace with Germany itself provides
it. It is believed that the treaty of
adequate protection to France against
aggression from her recent enemy on
east; but the years Immediately ahead
of US contain many incaluculabIe pos
sibilities. The covenant of the Lea
que of Nations provides for military
action for the protection of its mem
bers only upon advice of sthe council
of the league-advice given, it is to be
presumed, only upon deliberation and
acted upon by each of the government
of the members states only if its own
Judgment justities such action.
s'The object of the special treaty
with France which | now submit to
you is to provide for immediate mill
tary assistance to France by the Uni
ted States in case of any unproyoked
movement of aggression against her
by Germany, without waiting for the
advice of the council Of the League
of Nations that such action be taken.
It is to be an arrangement not in
dependent of the League of Nations,
but under it.
1T is, therefore, expressly provided
that this treaty shall be made the
subject of consideration at the same
time with the treaty of peace with
Germany; that this special arrange
ment shall receive the approval of the
council Of the league; and tha this
special provision for the safety of
France shall remain in force only un-
til, upon application of one of the
parties to it, the council of the league
acting, if necessary by majority vote
shall agree that the provisions of the
covenant of the league afford her
sufficient protection.
Il was moved to sign this treaty by
considerations which will, / hope,
seem as persuasive and as irresistible
to you as they seemed to me. We are
bound to France by ties of friendship
which we have always regarded, and
shall always regard as peculiarly sac
red. She assisted us to win our free
dom as a nation. 1t is seriously to
be doubted whether we could have
won it without her gallant and timely
aid. We have recently had the pri-
yilege of assisting in driving enemies
VIII owere also enemies of the world,
from her soil, but that does not pay
our debt to her Nothing can pay
such debt She now desires that we
should promise to lend our great force
to keep her safe against the power
she has had most reason to fear.
Another great nation volunteers the
same promise 1t is one of the fine
reyersals of history that that other
nation should be the very power from
whom France fought to see US free. A
new day has dawned Old antagon-
isms are forgotten. The common
cause of freedom and enlightment has
created new comradeship and new per-
ceptions of what it is wise and nee
essary for great nations to do to free
the world Of intoIerable fear.
Two governments who wish to be
Continued on page 81