Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-07-10

Wilson Puts His Services
and All Information Into
Hands of Senate Members

Washington, july l0--The full text
Of President Wilson speech follows:
Gentlemen of the Senate:
The treaty Of peace with Germany
was signed at Versailles on the aath of
June. 1 avail myself Of the earliest op.
portunity to lay the treaty before you
for ratification aud to inform you with
regard to the work of the conference by
which that treaty was formulated.
The treaty constitutes nothing less
than world settlement. 1t would not
be possible for me either to summarize
or to construe its manifold provisions in
an address which must of necessity be
something less than treaty. My serv-
ice and all the information | possess
will be at your disposal and at the dis
posal of your committee on foreign re-
lations at any time, either informally or
IN session, as you may prefer. And |
hope that you win not hesitate to make
use Of them, | shah at this time, prior
to your own study of the document, at
tempt only a general Characterization
of its scope and purpose.
Difficulties Are Many.
In one sense, no doubt, there is no
need that | should report to you what
was attempted and doae at Paris. You
have been daily cognizant Of what was
going on thereof the problems with
which the peace conference had 10 deal
and of the difficulty of laying down
straight lines of settlement anywhere
on field on which the old lines Of
international relationship and the new
alike, followed SO intricate patscrn
and were for the most part cut so deep
By historical circumstances which dom
mated action even where IL woGld have
been best to ignore or reverse them. The
cross currents of politics and Of inter
est must have been evident to you. IL
would be presuming in me to attempt to
explain the questions which arose or
the many diverse elements that entered
into them. | shall attempt something
less ambitious and more clearly sug-
gested by my duty to report 10 the con
grcss, the part it seemed necessary for
my colleagues and me to play as repre-
sentatives of the government of the
United States.
Americaa Purpose Cited.
That part WIS dictated by the role
America had played in the war and by
the expectations that had been Great.
ed in the minds of the peoples with
whom we had associated ourselves in
that great struggle.
The United States entered the war
upon different footing from every
other nation except our associates on
this side Of the sea. We entered il,
not because our material interests were
directly threatened or because any spe-
cial treaty obligations to whieh We were
parties had been violated but only be-
cause We saw the supremacy and even
the validity of right everywhere put in
jeopardy and free government likely to
be everywhere imperiled by the intolcr.
able aggression of a power which re.
spectcd neither right nor obligation and
whose very system of government flout.
ed the rights Of the citizen as against
the autoeratic authority Of his govern
ors.
And in the settlements Of the peace
we have sought no special rcParation
for ourselves, but only the restoration
of right and the assurance Of liberty ev
lerywhere, that the effects Of the settle
ment were to be felt. We entered the
war as the disinterested champion OF
right and we interested ourselves In the
terms Of peace in no other capacity.
Chateau Thierry Recalled.
The hopes Of the nations allied
against the central powers were at Q
very low ebb when our soldiers begar
to pour across the sea. There was ev
erywhere amongst them, except in theiI
stoutest spirits a sombre forcboding Of
disaster. The war ended in November
eight months ago, but you have only "a
recall what was feared in mid summei
last, four short months before the armis
iiee, to realize what it wss that oui
timely aid accomplished alike for theil
morale and their physical safety. Thai
first, never-tO-be-forgotten action a'
Chateau.Thierry had already taker
place. Our redoubtable soldiers aBt
marines had already closed the gap the
enemy had succeeded in opening foi
their advance upon Paris-had alread,
turned the tide Of battle back towardl
the frontiers Of France and begun th'
rout that was to save Europe and th'
world Thereafter the Germans wer'
to be always forced back, back; werl
neverto thrust successfully forward
again. Ard yet there was no confident
hope Anxious men and women, leadinl