The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-10

WASHINGTON, July lO-President
wilson in presenting the peace treaty
and the league of nations to the SEN
ate today spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the senate:
The treaty Of peace with Germany
was signed at Versailles on the twenty
eighth Of June. | avail myself of the
earliest opportunity to lay the treaty
before you for ratification and to in
form 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 a treatie. Ny
services and ali the informations / pos
sess will be at the disposal Of your
committee on foreign relations at any
time, either informally or in session,
as you may prefer and / hope that you
will not hesitate to make use Of them.
! shall at this time, prior to your own
study of the document, attempt only
general characterization of its scope and
purpose.
In one sense no doubt there Is no
need that / should report to you what
was attempted and done at Paris, You
have been daily cognizant of what was
going on thereof the problems with
which the peace conference had to deal
and of the difficulty of laying down
straight lines of settlement anywhere
on field on which the old lines In In
ternational relationship, and the new
alike, followed so intricate pattern and
were for the most part cut SO deep by
historical circumstances which domi-
mated action where 1t would have been
best to ignore or reverse them. The
b. 80 a1t pr,1 Nf int
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. l shall attempt something
less ambitious than that and more
clearly suggested by my duty to report
to the congress the part 1t seemed nee
essary for my colleagues and me to
play as the representatives of the gov
ernment Of the United States.
THAT part was dictated by the role
America had played In the. war and by
the expectations that had been created
in the minds of the peoples with whom
we had associated ourselves IN tna1
"The GnIted States entered the war
upon q different footing from every otn-
or nation, except our associates on thls
side OF the sea. We entered 1t, not y;
cause our material interests were al
cial treaty obligations to which 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 IN
tolerable aggression Of a power which
respected neither right nor obligation
and whose very system of government
flouted the rights of the citizen against
the autocratic authority OF his govern
ors. And in the settlements of the
peace we have sought no special repa-
ration for ourselves, but only the res
toration of right and the assurance OF
liberty everywhere, that the effects OF
the settlement were to be felt, We en-
tered the war as the disinterested
champions of right and We interested
ourselves in the terms Of the peace in
no other capacity.
Felt Disaster.
1.-THE hopes Of the nations allied
against the central powers were at a
very low ebb when our soldiers began
to pour across the sea. There was ev-
erywhere amongst them, except in their
stoutest spirits somber foreboding OF
disaster. The war ended in November,
eight months ago, but you have only
to recall what was feared in midsum-
mer last, four short months before the
armistice, to realize what it was that
our timely aid accomplished alike, for
their morale and their physical safety.
That first, never-to- -be-forgotten action
at Chateau Thierry, had already taken
place. Our redoubtable soldiers and
marines had already closed the gap the
enemy had succeeded in opening for
their advance upon Paris--had already
turned the tide of battle back toward
the frontiers of France and begun the
rout that was to save Europe and the
world. Thereafter the Germans were to
be always forced back back, were never
to thrust successfully forward again.
And yet there was no confident hope.
Anxious men and women, leading spir-
its of France, attended the celebration
of the Fourth of July last year In Paris
out of generous oourtesy--with no heart
for festivity, little zest for hope. But
they came away with something new
at their hearts; they have themselves
told US so.
"The mere sight of our men--of their
yigor, OF the confidence that showed
itself In every movement of their stall
wart figures and every. turn OF their
swinging march, In their steady COM
the indoniitable air that added spirit
to everything they did--made every one
who saw them that memorable day
realize that something had happened
that was much more than a mere IN
cident in the fighting something very
different from the mere arrival OF fresh
troops. A great moral force had flung
itself into the struggle. The fine ply
steal force Of those spirited men spoke
of something more than bodily Vigor.
They carried the great Ideals Of free
people at their hearts and with that
vision were unconquerable. Their very
presence brought reassurapce; their
FIGHTING ynpAa yictOrV certain.
Meant Salvation.
"They were recognized as crusaders,
and as their thousands swelled to mill
lions their strength was seen to mean
salvation. And they were fit men TO
carry such a hope and make good the
assurance II forecast. Finer men never
went into battle; and their officers
were worthy of them. This is not the
occasion upon which to utter a eulogy
OF the armies America sent to France,
but perhaps, since l am speaking OF
their mission. | may speak also of the
who saw or dealt with them there.
They were the sort OF men America
would wish TO be represented by, the
sort of men every American would wish
TO claim as fellow countrymen and
comrades in great cause. They were
terrible in battle, and gentle and help
ful out OF It, remembering the mothers
and the sisters, the wives and the little
children at home. They were free men
under Arms, not forgetting their ideals
or duty in the midst OF tasks OF vio-
lence. I am proud to have had the
privilege Of being associated with them
and Of calling myself their leader.
but | speak now of what they meant
to the men by whose sides they fought
and 70 the people with whom they
mingled with such utter simplicity, as
friends who asked only to be of serv-
Ice. They were for all the visible en-
bodiment OF America. What they did
yrada America and all that she stood
not only of the people of France, but
also OF tens Of millions OF men and
women throughout all the toiling ma
tions of a world standing everywhere
in peril OF It's freedom and of the loss
of everything IL held dear, in deadly