Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-15
ESTABLISHED 1855
PRESIDENT TO SENATE
MomentouS Message OF Peace on
Earth.
STORY OF GREAT ACHIEVEMENT

Il Is Up to America Now to Become
the Moral Leader of the World, and
of Tremendous Importance Is the
Choice That the Senate Might Make.
The peace treaty with its league Of
nations covenant was laid before the
senate Thursday by President Wilson
In an address accounting to the coun-
try fol his part In the negotiations at
Versailles.
The league Of nations, declared the
president, was born Of the conviction
Of practical statesmen that an inter-
national concert had become world
necessity to end the old order and
guarantee civilization. He declared
that in such concert the world look
ed confidently to America for leader
ship, ind added that, while the treaty
might not be exactly as the American
delegntion would have written it, no
vital principle had been sacrificed by
the necessary compromise.
The senate. already, divided into a
bitter fight over the league proposal,
received the president with cheers and
listened to his words in a grave ST.
lence. When he had concluded there
was another burst Of cheering until he
had passed out Of the chamber and
had gone to his capitol office where he
talked for an hour with senators who
wished to ask about specific features
of the treaty or Of the negotiations. In
these conferences the president dis
cussed freely such subjects as the dis
position of Shantung, the German in
IDENTITIES and Irish freedom.
Many Phases Untouched.
In his address, hswever, there was
no direct reference to many OF the
questions around which senate debate
has centered the president declaring
he could not construe details Of the
treaty in a short address. He did not
directly mention the Monroe doctrine.
Shantung or the obligations assumed
under Article 10, Of the league OF cove
nant, nor did he allude to the pro-
posal to write reservations into the rat
ifcation. He asserted hope that he
would be given opportunity to discuss
details later either with the whole sem
ate or the foreign relations committee.
"My services and all the information
I possess" said Mr.. Wilson, will be at
your disposal and at the disposal Of
your committee on foreign relations
at any time either informally or in
session, as you prefer, and hope that
you will not hesitate to make use of
them"
American isolation. the President as
serted, was ended 20 years ago when
the war with Spain put the nation In
partial control of Cuba and the Phil
ippines.
Offered World Leadership.
"But we have not exploited them"
he continued. I'VE have been their
friends and have sought to serve them.
There can be no question of our ceas-
ing to be world power. The only
question is whether we can refuse the
moral leadership that is offered us,
whether we shall accept or reject the
confidence of the world"
1.-The stage is set, the destiny dis
closed. 1t has come about by no plans
of our conceiving but by the hand OF
God who has led US into this way. We
cannot turn back. We can only go
forward with lifted eyes and fresh
ened spirit, to follow the vision"
Alluding to the skepticism with
which the plan for league Of nations
first was received, the president said
that as the peace negotiations pro-
ceeded 1t became apparent to all the
delegates that such concert was "a
practical necessity" demanded by "all
the peoples of the world" Pointing
out that many minor compromises
were necessary to secure the support OF
all the interested nations, he contin-
ued:
No Principle Sacrificed.
1.-THE treaty, as a result, is not ex-
actly what we would have written. II
is probably not what anyone Of the
national delegations would have writ
ten. But results were worked out
which on the whole bear test. I think
that it would be found the compro-
misses which were accepted as inev-
table nowhere cut to the heart Of any
principle"
In disregard Of precedent, the senate
received the address in open session
and afterwards ordered that the trea-
ty be published in The Congressional
Record and as a public document
The galleries were overflowing and
crowds who were unable to gain ad-
mission waited in the rain to cheer the
president when he arrived and de-
parted.
Many members of the house crowd
ed into the rear Of the senate cham
Der and most Of the members Of the
cabinet were seated near the vice
presidents desk.
No Attempt at Oratory.
Speaking from the same platform
where 80 months ago he astounded the
world with his first declaration for
league of nations, the president read
his address slowly and in clear, quiet
voice.
His manuscript, typewriter on
small pages. he held in his left hand
and with his right he punctuated his
utterances with an occasional gesture
pakorn him ON the vice nreSident's