Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-05
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
MADE IN INDIANAPOI is
IF Critics of League Have Something Better Suggest
Hope They Will Hold Convention and
Do 1t" Says Wilson.

nrands for the. weak and helpless king
dom or Serbia. not with view OF
/ those demands. but with view to
! bringing abou, conflict in which
Their purposes. cutie separate from the
/ purposes connected with these de-
/ mands. could bc achieved.
I lust so soon as these demands we're
! made. other nations of Europe sent
teiesraphic messages to thcir repre-
Sentativcs at Vienna and Berlin. urg
| nv them 20 ask the governments of
Vienna and Berlin to enter into dis
| cuSSion Of these matters.
Il was recalling. my fellow citizens
! the circumstances which ecan the ter
/ ribie conflict that has jus, been con-
Guided
so soon as the unconsc;onabc de-
/ mands OF Austria were ma Sc on Serbia
| me other governments of Europe sent
/ tieieSrAphie messages TO Berlin and
/ brought into conference. And the
| significant circumstance Of the begin
/ and German governments did not dare
( TO discuss the demands on Serbia 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 conference
| on the Austrian demands. tho war
! vas an insStent demand from London
/ for c%ampic. 10y the British Foreign
| Munster that the cabinets OF Europe
| SHOULD he given time TO confer with
the governments at Berlin and Vienna.
| The governments at Berlin and Vienna
! aid not dare TO admit time for dis
! cuSsion.
What Critics Overlooked
II am recalling these circumstances.
! my fellow-citizens. because want TO
point out to you what apparently mas
escaped the attention Of some OF the
critics Of the league OF nations. that
| the heart Of the league OF nations docs
| MOI lie in any OF the portions which
have been discussed in public debate
] NF
I lhat covenant contained these engage
mems and promises on the part Of the
states which undertook to become
! members OF -: That. in no circum-
! stances. will they go to war without
/ lirSt having either submitted the uucS-
/ ton TO arbitration. in which case they
I agree 10 ABIDE by the result: or, hav-
/ tnE submitted the question 10 discus
! sion by the council OF the league OF
nations. IN which case they will allow
tiH months for the discus sion and en-
| gage not to 20 to war until three
| months after the council has announced
! its opinion upon tho subject under dis
| pute.
so that the heart Of the covenant
| o. inc league is that the nations sol
| enniN covenant not to go TO war for
nlnc months after controversy de-
! comes acute.
"If there had been nine days of dis
c"Ssion Germany would not have gone
within which TO bring 10 bear tho
opinion Of the world. the Judgment OF
mankind upon the purposes OF Chcse
| governments, they never would have
dared to execute those purposes
so that what ii is important for us
10 remember is that when we sent
"" promised them. we promised the
world that We would not conclude this
Eonhlci with a mere treaty Of peace
We entered into solemn cnsapements
with All the nations with whom w.
associated ourselves. that VIC would
hrinE about such kind of settlement.
a. cans
nations that wars like this could not
3gain occur.
Jeopnrdinc High Ideals.
ms war has 10 be fought over
again then al on" high ideals and pur-
poses have been disappointed. for We
did not go into this war merely 10
beat Germany We went into this war
10 peat an purposes such AS Germany
We arc presently. my fcllow-coun-
/ trNmen. TO have the very great pleas
nre o. Welcoming on this side of the
ga ne hinS and Queen Of Inc Bel
perfectly sure tina; We are going 10
make 1t clear 10 them that We have
nor FORGOTTEN the viola lion of Belgium;
mat We have not forgotten the in
ioIcTabic wrongs which were put upon
ma MAJ suffering people. have seen the
ne, ,s,nted country. Where is was not
actually laid in ruins. every factory
was Quilted OF it's c"ntents: all the ma
ch!ncry by which il would be possible
10: men 10 90 TO work again was taken
away and those parts OF the machinery
mat they could not take away were
destroyed by experts who knew how 10
,Stroy them.
belgium Was Z very successful com
n"tii"r OF Germany in some lines Of
manufacture. and the German armies
We're sent there 10 sec to it that that
c"in'eiit'on was put stop to. Their
purpose was to crush the indcpcndent
action Of that little kinEdom-not
merely 10 use il as gateway through
which 10 attack France And who
they got into France they not oniy,
fought tho armies of France. but they
put the coal mines of France out of
commission. so that il will be dc
cadc or more before France can supply
herself with coal from her accustomed
sources.
You have heard a great deal about
Article y. OF the covenant of the leaccue
Of nations. Article y. speaks tho CON
science of tho world, ArticicAN is the
article which goes to the heart of this
whole bad business. for that article
saHs hat the members of this league
and that is intended TO he All the great
nations OF the world-.engaGe TO resist
ana To preserve against all external
aggression the territorial integrity and
political indcpcndcncc of the nations
concerned. That promiSc is necessary
IN order to prevent this sort of war re :
curing: ana VIC arc absolutely dis
credited IL we fought this war and the n
neglect the essential safeguard against
ii.
You have hoard it id, my fellow