The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-01-25
UNITED STATES
MUST STAND PAT
Failure to Press Wilson's
Peace Principles Would
Prove Fatal.
PERFlDIOUS TRAITOR 81
Withdrawal Would License
Germany to Violate Armi-
stice, Says Lewis.
PERFIDIoUS TRAFFIC s

New York, Jan. 25.--U. N. SD
Germany would be entitled to violate
the armistice terms, the allies would
be justified in accusing the United
States of trickery, and little nations
fighting with us would be excuSc<l[
before the world In turning and 144'
sailing us if the United States W4ll>H
draws, postpones or fails to press 6M4
of President Wilson's fourteen pc51oy
at the peace conferences, d9cln<1
Senator James Hamilton, LevtW 4zf
Illinois, in an address before I'M
Lawyers Club Of New York hers 81
day.
"Justice demands that we hold fast
to every covenant and upon our
plighted faith, for which our sons
die d, that the word of nations should
be ever holy--for this we pledge the
vow of sacred Peter. ON this rock w0
build our house-and the gates Of
hell shall not prevail against IT. the
senator added.
Legal Obligation.
The subject of Senator Lewis ada
dress was Legal Obligation to II-
sist on the Wilson Fourteen Articles
for Peace"
Senator Lewis recalled the accept
ance of former Chancellor Max OF
| the program laid down by Presi-
dent Wilson in his message to con-
gress Jan. 8. 1918, and his subsequent
pronunciamento, particularly In his
address of Sept. 27, 1915" He also
recalled the acceptance of these same
principles by the allies Subject to a
qualification of necessary definition
nf tho fraado,,, nf tho
Terms of. Armist;ce.
"Under these terms the armistice
was signed" Senator Lewis added.
'HThe peace was made by Germany
and her people on the terms of four
teen points proposed by the Unitedf
States, including the proposal of 81
league of nations for future peace.
These were adopted by the allies as
their only terms of peace, and all ac-
cepted as the basis by Italy, the Ball
kans and Turkey.
at is impossible for the United
States to withdraw one of her terms.
or postpone one or omit to press on
without giving Germany the right
to refuse to abide by the terms Of
the armistice 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
ing against US and supporting any
force against our soldiers.
"The allies would be justified in
accusing us OF trickery and with
drawing from the table. Every little
nation or aspiring people. lighting
with us on the basis of our proposals
made Jan. 8. 1918. would be excused
before the world in turning from us1
and assailing us for perfidy to them.
This on the ground that our cons
tracts and agreements were delusions
and fraud, and our treaties of peace
are but scraps of paper
Solemn Compact.
Eve would be the perfidious trail
tors 10 solemn compacts and the one
nation whose word would sink as low
as was Prussia when her decep-
tions were brought TO destruction in
the indignation of civilization.
The very last and first of the
covenants we made to Germany as a
basis of peace was that all nati3ns
qualified as civilized should league
to prevent war in the future. On this
one rock we built our house. To tiifs
house come all nations. Can we now
violate the honor of our household
and prove ourselves in word or ac-
tion another imperial Prussia? 1t isl
now a question of American honor.
1t cannot be violated TO accommodates
political party issues or to gratNy
racial or national hatreds."