The Washington times., 1920-10-11

1--WE are trying 10 make . peace
ful' settlement; that is TO say. to
eliminate those elements OF dtSturb-
Ance, 30 far as possible. which may
interfere with tho peace OF the
world, aud we are trying to make
an equitable siistribution or terri
tories according 10 the race, the
ethnographicai character OF the poo-
pie inhsbiting those territories
And back Of that lies this fundA-
mentally important fact that when
the decisions are made the allied
and associated powers guarantee to
maintain them. IL is perfectly evil
dent. upon a moments reflection,
that the chief burden or their main
tenance will fall upon the greater
powers. The chief burden of the
war fell upon the greater powers.
and II IL had not been for their
action. their military action, we
would not be here to settle these
questions. And. therefore. we must
not close our eyes to the fact that
in the last analysis>the military and
naval strength OF the great powers
VIII bo' the final guarantee OF tho
peace of the world.
reasonable and unjust that not as
dictAtors but as friends tho great
powers should say to their asso-
ciates: we cannot afford to guar
antee territorial settlements which
we. do not believe to be right. and
we cannot agree to leave elements
Of disturbance unrcmoved. which we
believe will disturb the peace of
the worldT
How can a power like the United
States for eAAmple-for I can speak
of no other-after signing this
treaty, II 1t contains elements which
they do not believe will be peTma-
nent. 20 5000 miles away across
the sea and report to its people that
1t has made q settlement OF the
peace OF the world? 1t cannot do
SO. And yet there underliss all of
these transactions the expectation
on the part. for example, OF Ru-
mania. and of Czecho-Siovakia. and
or Sdfbia, that II any covenants of
this settlement are not observed,
the United States will send her
armies and her na<ies to see that
they are observed.
Therefore. the Impressions with
which we should disperse ought to
be these, that we are all friends
of course that goes without say
ing-but that we must all be as
sociates in common effort, and
there can be no frank and earnest
association in the common effort
unless there Is common agree
ment as to what the rights and set
Elements are.
Now IL the agreement is a sep
arate agreement among groups OF
us. that does not meet the object
II you should adopt the language
suggested by the Czecho -Slovakian
delegation. and the Serbian delega-
ation-the Jugo-Slovak delegation
that 1t should be left to negotia-
tion between the principal allied
and associated powers and their
several delegates. that would mean
that after this whole conference Is
adjourned, groups OF them would
determine what Is to be the basis
of the peace Of the world. 1t seems
to me that that would be a most
dangerous idea to entertain, and,
therefore. I beg that we may part
with sense. not of interference
with each other. but of hearty and
friendly cooperation upon the only
possible basis OF guarantee. Where
the great force lies there must be
the sanction OF peace.
"I sometimes wish, In hearing an
argument like this, that I were the
representative Of q small power so
that what I said might be robbed of
any mistaken Significance, but 1
think you will agree with me that
the United States has never shown
any temper of aggression anywhere,
and It lies in the heart OF the people
Of the United States, as I am sure
it lies in the hearts of the peoples
OF the other great powers. to form a
common partnership OF right, and
to do service to our associates, and
no kind of dis-service."