The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-09-27
President Wilson Puts His Fin
ger On Source Of All
the Trouble
DEFEAT OF TREATY
WILL HELP GERMANY
Reservations by Senate Would
Kill Treaty in So Far as the
United States is Concerned

again the proposed senate TeSSEFItiolf
to Article 10 of the league covenant,
President Wilson declared in an ad-
dress here today that should any such
reservation be adopted, he would "be
obliged as chief executive to regard it
as a rejection OF the treaty"
The president added that rejection
Of the treaty would mean negotiation
of a separate peace with Germany,
and asserted that such q negotiation
could not change q single item Of the
peace settlement. Recalling ;Japan's
promise. to return to China all SOW
ereign- Rights in Shantung. president
said the only thing retained by the
Tokyo government would be economic
rights such as other nations hold. He
said the United States had no right to
doubt that promise. He characterized
as empty noise" the professions Of
friendship for China made by those
who WANT the treaty to fail.
Turning to the league covenant. the
president said the question Of wfeth-
er the heart OF the league covenant
was to be cut out scan must come to
a .sflow down. It would mean the
violation Of the whole plan. he as
serted. If The nation were to adopt
reservations to Article 19 as proposed
in the senate.
One By one, said he, the other OBJ
jjections to the covenant had been dis
posed Of, TO all candid minds, y he
asserted, itsnow was apparent that
the. Monroe doctrine was fully pro-
tected,f thats;there was no -super-gov-
era1ment set mp aud that no danger
was 10 be feared from the. speaking
parts" given to the British denrmions
in the league Assem- bly.fs Ptfe with
drawal OBJECTIONS. he added, was am
other "bugaboo" that had been dis
PEELED.
Thus. continued Mr. Wilson, the
whole discussion had settled down
upon Article 10, under which the
members agree to preserve one anoth-
er's territorial integrity against cx-
ternal aggression He declared this
cut at the tap root Of war" because
nearly all wars started from aggr
sion against those unable TO defend
themselves. ;.
The reservation read by the presi-
dent was the same that he laid before
his audience last night at the Salt
Lake City tabernacle. BY its pro-
vision the United States would as
sumo no obligation to preserve the
territorial integrity of other nations
unless congress should SO decide.
"It is as though VI said he Will
not join the league now, said he, "hu'
may join it from time to time. We
won't promise anything but from time
; to time We may cooperate.
The thing is unworthy and ridicu-
lous. 1t means the rejection Of the
treaty, nothing less The issue is final.
We can't afford it. We've got to make
; the decision now, and once made,
there can be no turning back"
Unless the United States went into
the league now. he added. and as
| .,unlcd its full responsibility it would
nave TO come in later with Germany.
iCharacteriZing the peace treaty as
q complete reversal Of the old auto
cratic processes of governments, Pres
ident Wilson appealed to the people
here today to support the league Of
nations as q consummation Of the
fight for democracy.
The example 10 which the whole
world now turned, said the president.
Some European statesmen, he de-
clared. had affected to disregard"
that example, but now they all had
come under its influence.
In the new. world concord to rescue
the world completely from autocracy,
Mr. Wilson said. the United States
must take the lead.
The presidents address. frequently
interrupted by cheering, was deliver
ed in Cheyenne thcater which was
filled Previously he had been cheered
during his ride from the railway sta
ton. Discussing Americas place and
leadership, Mr.. Wilson said the nation
must keep its face turned forward
just AZ the American soldiers always
did in the great war.
They never thought Of turning
back not only he said, but they
never put any reservations ON their
service.
Opponents Of the treaty. Mr.. Wilson
said, made many insupportable objec-
tons. but had debated seriously only
oue of these Objectionable Shan
tuny settlement. he went into the
history of the Shantung concession at
length. pointing out that President
Mckinley did not protest when Ger
many acquired the Shantung rights
now given to Japan. The settlement
included in the Versailles treaty, he
asserted. was unavoidable" While
the League of nations offered the best
hope for China's recovery Of her lost
province.
The United States. asserted the
president, had no precedent in inter-
national law for even protesting
against Japan's acquisition Of the
Shantung rights. But. he added. that