The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-11
Tells Audiences at Billings,
Mont, That 1t Was Re-
suit of Much Labor
1T is THIS TREATY
OR NONE, HE SAID
Told the Westerners That
He Came to Consult
the People

Billings, Mont, Sept. ll.-Laying his
appeal for the peace treaty before the
people Of Montana to-day, President
Wilson declared the question of its rati-
flcation was question whether the
United States would fulfill its pledge to
its people and to the world,
There were two addresses on his days
program, Mr.. Wilson speaking at the
Billings auditorium before noon, so that
he could arrive in Helena in time for a
meeting at night. He reached here from
Bismarck, N. D., only a short time be-
fore the hour for his address.
Mr. Wilson said he had come west "to
consult" with the people in the light of
circumstances which affected the whole
world. Everywhere, he declared, the hui
man heart beat the same and on both
sides Of the ocean there was sincere
desire that there should be no more war,
1t was a mistake, therefore, the pres
ident continued, to debate the peace
treaty as if it were an ordinary treaty.
II was not merely treaty with Ger
many, he said, but treaty effecting a
settlement of the affairs of the world,
"And it is this treaty or no treaty"
he added. 'It is this treaty because
there can be no other
"This settlement is the first interna-
tional settlement. that is based upon the
happiness of the average people through
out the world 1t is peoples treaty,
and ! venture the prediction that it Is
not wise for parliaments and congresses
TO attempt to alter it"
II is severe treaty, the president
went on, but Justly so. Some of the
men who had called it unduly harsh,
he added, were critieising the admins
tration year ago because they thought
the United States was too easy with
Germany.
"They were pitiless them he said,
"they are pitiful now" The demand in
the war, Mr. Wilson declared, had fought
not for redemption Of America, but for
the redemption Of the world It was
one OF the hardest of his trials during
the war, he said, TO be able merely to
direct the policies Of the nation and not
''to take a gun and 90 myself"
The basic principle of the treaty, said
Mr. Wilson, was that the territory ey-
erywhere belongs to the people who live
upon 1t. II was the lahefious work of
many minds, he added, and "hss very
few compromises in it, following in gen
eral American specifications. Should it
fail he declared, ii would be impossible
to get together again the elements neces.
sary TO make a new settlement. The
United States must take the treaty, he
said or play a lone hand in world af-
fairs.
IF you're going to play lone hand" "
said he, "the hand that you play must
have a weapon in it, And the weapon
must be all the young men of the coun-
try and the business Of the country must
pay the piper"
There was spirit of unrest every
where, he continued, and ii was the prov
ince of the treaty to set up an indus
trial democracy as well as a political
democracy. He continued that there
were domestic questions to be settled in
that connection because there could be
no industrial democracy as long as mo-
nopolies existed.
Not Finished with Monopolies.
He was interrupted by applause when
he said;
"And we have not yet finished with
the monopolies"
Citing again the upheaval in Russia,
the president asked if his hearers had
not seen evidences of the spread of the
unrest 1t was the dread" Of every
statesman in Europe, he continued, and
a propaganda was spreading it in the
United States.
"There are apostles Of Lenine in our
midst" he said, "and it means to be an
apostle of darkness. Our business is TO
see that no minority, no matter how
rich, no matter how poor, shall get con-
troll of the United States"
The publication of political conditions
never could be accomplished until the
treaty was accepted and peace estab
lished Some men debating the treaty,
he added, seemed to, think there was
leisure" but there should be no lei
surely discussion of such an issue.