Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-05
WILSON'S INDIANAPOLIS ADDRESS
indianapolis. Ind, Sept. 4.-The
text Of President Wilson'S speech

indianapolis. Ind. Sept. 4.-Ths
text Of President Wilson'S speech
follows:
MY feuow-cittsens: So great; \
company - this tempts me to make .
speech daughter and applause), and
yet l, want to say to you in all serious
8 n soberness that I have not
come here to make a speech, in the
ordinary sense Of that term.
I have come upon a very sober ar
rand, indeed. I have come to report
to you upon the work which the rep
resentahves Of the United States at
tempted to do at the conference Of
peace, on the other side Of the sea,
because realize, my fellow citisens,
that my colleagues and I in the task
we attempted over there were your
servants. We went there with a dis
ttnct errand, which it was our duty to
perform in the spirit which you have
displayed In the prosecution Of the
war and In conceiving the purposes
and objects Of that war.
Debate Doesn't Interpret
Il was in the city Of Columbus this
to explain to a body Of our fellow
citizens there just what 1t was that
the treaty Of peace contained, for T
must frankly admit that in most Of
the speeches I have heard In deba.e
upon the treaty Of peace. 1t would be
impossible to form a definite concep-
ton OF what that instrument means.
I want to recall to you for the pur-
pose of this evening. the circumstances
Of the war and the purposes for which
our mon spent their lives on the
other side OF the sea.
You will remember that a prince
OF the house of Austria was slain in
one of the cities of Serbia. Serbia
vas n Of the small Kingdoms Of
any of the great powers had need to
fear. AS we see the war now, Ger
many and those who %conspired with
her made a pretext of that accusation
In order to make unconscionable de-
mands from the weak and helpless
kingdom Of Serbia, but with a view
to bringing about a conflict in which
the purposes connected with these de-
mands, could be achieved.
Asked for D~eaiberasaon.
"Just as soon as these demands were
made. other nations of Europe sent
Geographic messages to their repre-
sentatives at Vienna and Berlin to en-
ter into discussion of these matters
Il was recalling, my fellow citizens,
the circumstances which began the
terrible conflict that has Just been
concluded.
$50 soon as the unconscionable de-
mands Of Austria were made on Ser
bia the other governments Of Europe
sent telegraphic messages to Berlin
and Vienna asking that the matter be
brought into a conference. And the
ming of this war is that the Austrian
n German governments did not
dare to discuss tho demands on Ser
bia or the purpose which they had In
view.
1T is universally admitted on the
other side of the water that If they
had gone into International confer
ence on the Austrian demands, the
war never would have been begun.
There was an insistent demand from
London, for example, by the British
foreign minister that the cabinets OF
Europe should be given time to confer
with h governments at Vienna and
Berlin. The governments at Vienna
and Berlin. did not dare to admit time
for discussion.
II I'm recalling these circumstances,
my fellow citienzs, because I want to
point out to you what apparently has
escaped the attention Of some of the
critics of the League Of Nations that
the heart Of the League Of Nations
does not lie in any Of the portions
which have been discussed in public
debates. The great bulk Of the pro-
visions Of that covenant contained
these engagements and promises OF
the part of the states which under
took to become members of it. That
In no circumstances will they go to
war without first having either sub
mitted the question to arbitration-in
which case they agree to abide by the
roa1S1f mr. hovir0 SThYajffnA tho r,rAo
ton to discussion by the council of
the League of Nations, in which case
they will allow six months for the dis
cussion, and engage not to go to wal
until three months after the coun Gil
has announced it's opinion: upon the
subject under dispute.
Is Solemn Agreement.
$50 hat the heart of the covenant
Of the league is hat the nations SOL
emily covenant not to go to war for
nine months after a controversy be-
NM acute.
If there had been nine DAYS Of dis
cussion Germany would not have gone
to war. II there had been nine days
within which to bring to bear the
opinion OF the world, the judgment OF
mankind upon the purposes of these
governments, they eve would have
dared to execute those purposes.
Treaty Is Not Enough
$50 tina what is important for III
to remember is that when we sent
those boys in khaki across the sea we
promised them, as we promised the
world, that we would not conclude
this conflict with a mere treaty OF
peace. We entered into solemn en-.
gagements with all the nations with
whom we associated ourselves, thai
we would bring about such q kind OF
settlement and such a concert of the
purpose Of nations, that war like this
could not again occur.
"If this war has to be fought owe,
again then all our high ideals and
purposes have been disappointed, fol
we did not go into this war merely
Ito beat Germany. We went into thi.
war to beat all purposes such as Ger.
many entertained.
Have Not Forgotten Belgium.
I'VE are presently. my fellow coun.
trymen, to have the very great pleas-
ure Of welcoming on this side Of the
sea the queen and king of the Belgt.
ans. (Applause.) And I. for one, an
perfectly sure that we are going ia
make 1t clear to them that We have
not forgotten the violation Of Belgium:
that we have not forgotten the intol-
cradle wrongs which put upon
] that suffering people. I have seer
their devastated country. Where Il
was not actually laid in ruins, every
factory was Quilted of its contents: ali