Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-10

'Vhi itdu HIS duuTcSS from d tNpp
copy. 1t follows:
Text of Address.
Gentlemen OF the Senate: The
signed at Versailles on the twenty
eighth of June. l avail myself of
the earliest opportunity to lay the
treaty before you for ratification and
to inform you with regard to the
work of the conference by which
that treaty was formulated
The treaty constitutes nothing
less than world settlement. 1t
would not be possible for me either
to summarize or to construe its
manifold provisions in an address
which must of necessity be some
thing less than a treatise. My serv-
ices and all the information / pos
sess will be at your disposal and at
the disposal of your committee on
foreign relations al any time. either
formally or in session. as you may
prefer. and I hope that you will not
shall at this time. prior to your
own study of the document. attempt
only general characterization of
it's scope and purpose.
No Need to Repeat.
In one sense. no doubt. there is no
need that / should report to you
what was attempted and done at
Paris. You have been daily cogni-
zant of what was going on there
of the problems with which the
peace conference had to deal and
of the difficulty of laying down
straight lines of settlement any
where on a field on which the old
lines of international relationship.
and the new alike. followed so in
tricate pattern and were for the
most part cut SO deep by historical
circumstances which dominated ac-
ton even where it would have been
best to ignore or reverse them.
The cross currents of politics and
of interest must have been evil
dent to you. 1t would be presum-
ing in me to attempt to explain the
questions which arose or the many
diverse elements that entered into
them. 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 col
leagues and me to play as the rep
Iesentatives of the government Of
the United States.
That part was dictated by the role
America had played in the war and
by the expectations that had been
created in the minds of the peoples
with whom We had associated our
selves in that great struggle.
The United States entered the war
upon a different footing from every
other nation except our associates
or this side the sea. We entered It,
not because our material interests
were directly threatened or because
any special treaty obligations to
which we were parties had been vio-
lated. but only because we saw the
supremacy. and even the validity.
of right everywhere put in jeopardy
and free government likely to be
everywhere imperild by tn inteoler-
sbl aggression of a power which re-
spected neither right nor obligation
and whose very system of govern
ment flouted the rights of the citizen
as against tn" autocratic authority
Of his governors. And In the set
Elements of the peace We have sought
20 special PREPARATION for ourseIvc-
but only the restoration Of right and
Inc assurance of liberty ever where
that the effects of the settlement
wcre to be felt. We entered the war
as the disinterssted champions Of
right and We interested ourselves in
the terms OF the peace in no other
capacity.
The hopes of the nations allied
against the central powers were
at very low ebb when our SOL
diers began to pour across the sea
There was everywhere among
its. somber foreboding of dis
aster. The war ended in No
vember. eight months ago. but
you have only TO recall what was
feared in midsummer last four
short months before the armistice.
10 realize what IL was that our
timely aid accomplished alike for
their morale and their physical
safety. That first, never-to- be-
forgotten action al Chateau Thier-
~ had already taken place Our
redoubtable soldiers and marines
had already closed the gap the
enemy had succeeded In opening
for their advance from Paris-had
already turned the tide of battle
back toward the frontiers of
France and begun the rout that
was to save Europe and the world.
Thereafter the Germans were to be
always forced back. back were
fever to thrust successfully for