The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-30
Senator Lewis Speaks Be
fore Lawyers Club on
League of Nations
HUNS TO HAVE RIGHTS
Justified in Resur1ing War if We Do
Not Make Our Proposals
Good

New York, Jan. 30-Senator James
Hamilton Lewis of Illinois, speaking
today before the Lawyers Club IN
support OF the proposal for a League
Of Nations, declared that the United
States in the peace settlement could
not abandon a single one of Presl-
dent Wilson's fourteen principles
without laying itself open to the
charge of perhdy.
Germany, he said, would have the
right to refuse to abide by the terms
of tn arnistice, the Allies would be
justified ir withdrawing from the
peace table and all small nations or
aspiring peoples fighting with the
United States on the basis Of the
Presidents proposals would be excus-
ed before the world in turning from
America.
"The peace was made by Germany
and her people on terms of IA points
proposed by the United States, in
Guiding the proposal Of a league OF
nations for future peace" he said.
''These were adopted by the Allies
as their only terms OF peace and ali
accepted SIS the basis by Italy, the
Blkans, ard Turkey It is impossible
for the United States to withdraw
one OF her terms or postpone one or
omit to press oIle-Without giving
Germany the right then and there
to refuse to abide by the terms Of
the arrnistice in any particular. She.
could refuse to deliver her cannon
and arms as agreed. The people Of
Germany would be justified in charg-
ing US with fraud on them and turn
iagainst us and support any force
against our soldiers. The Allies
would be justified in accusing us Of
|trickery and withdraw from the table.
every little nation or aspiring
people fighting with us on the basis
!of our proposals made Jan. s, 1918,
would be excused before the world in
turning from US and assailing US for
perfIdy to them, then resenting it by
allying themselves with any foes
Of the United States-this on the
ground that our contracts and agree
ments were delusions and fraud and
our treaties of peace but Scraps Of
paper We would be the perfidious
traitors to solemn compacts and the
one nation whose word would sink asl
low as was that Of Prussia when her
deecptlons and lies brought her to
destruction in the indignation of civ
ilization.
"The very last and first Of the COW
enants We made to Germany as basis
OF peace was that all nations qualified
as civilized should league to prevent
war IN all future. This was the one
principle on which the German people
took our terms of peace and withheld
further arms and armies to GERMANY.
1t was on this basis as the guaranty
OF future peace in Europe that Bri- |
tam and france accepted the terms
OF the United States. On this one roclr |
we built our house. To this borso
come all rations. Can we now VIC
late the honor of our household and
prove ourselves in word Of nation an
other imperial Prussia? 1t is now .
question of American honor. It can
not be violated to accommodate no.
iIticaI party issues or to CRAFTY ra-
clal or national hatreds. Justice de-
mands that we hold act to every COW
enant and upon our plighted faith
1or which our sons died that the word
OF nations should ever be holy. For
thus we pledge the VOW of sacred
Peter: ~
ON this rock we build our house
and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it." ''''