The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-07
Stenographic Notes of 9th
Plenary Session of Peace
Conference Quoted.
SPENCER ASKS DENIAL
President Content TO Leave
Issue of Truth to Voters
OF Missouri.
OTHER CORROBORATI0N
Herbert A. Gibbons and DR.. Z.
j. Dillon Used Incident
in Question.
OTHER CORROBoRATIoN
sp,cial Des,otoh 40 TIE Hyr,rp.

Special Despatch 10 TIE HERALD
WASHINGTON, Oct 6.-President Will
sons branding Of Senator Spencer
(Mo.) as being guilty of falsehood IN
stating that the President promised to
send military aid to the Serbs and
Rumanians under the League Of Ma
tlons plan has proved a boomerang
that is a source of pain and grief to
the Administration and to supporters
OF the Wilson league everywhere.
The rapid fire of statement and de-
, NAL kept up between Senator Spencer
and the White House came to a sud
den halt to-day after the Senator pro-
duced the record Of Mr.. Wilson'S own
words on which his charge was based
end the President contented himself
with a telegraphic answer far wide
Of the real issue. The President did
not attempt to deny the records the
Senator produced All he could say
was:
pSAAeGbig content 10 ieaYe
it to the voters Of Missouri to de-
termine which OF US is telling the
truth
Senator Spencer sought 10 lead tha
President into an even deeper entangle-
ment. His last telegram to the White
House quoted the President, with Sen
ator Reed (Mo). Democrat, as sponsor
for the correctness of the Presidents
words, Us telling the Rumanian Premier,
Bratiano. that IL there was trouble there
the United States would send armies and
ships TO help out. Senator Spencer
specifically asked in thfs wire that ths
President tell whether this was said by
him. The President did not deny II TO-
day.
Joining the Issue.
Preceding to-days developments the
situation was this: Senator Spencer
charged publicly that the President had
/ made such promise while abroad.
Secretary Tumulty denied It on behalf
, OF the President. Senator Spencer said
ne could not believe this denial was
made with the Presidents knowledge.
The President telegraphed 20 Senator
Spencer assuring him that ne author
lied the denial. In the same message re-
| iterating the denial and affirming that
| the Senator had lied.
Delving into the proofs brought 70
| light.
Senator Reed (Mo) in the Senate on
| February 2 last declared that the Presl-
dent In a speech TO the Rumanian and
Serbian delegations to the peace con-
. ference, urging them to sign the cove
nant. said:
"If these States are solidly established
thanks TO the treaty which we are maxi
I ing together. the right belongs 70 tho
( Powers which will guarantee the execu-
/ TO see 70 1t that the conditions on which
/ these States will be established are Of
! the sort TO Insure the public peace.
1T the world should be troubled again.
] IL the conditions which we all regard
as fundamental are challenged. tine
! guarantees which will be given 20 YOU
! SERBIA and Rumania) VIII pledge that
! the United States Will send its army
/ and fleet across the ocean. Is il sur
/ prislng under such conditions that II
! should desire 10 reach a solution of the
! various problems"
A number of authors. correspondents
end others who were In Paris at the time
OF this speech or had access later TO the
stenographic notes OF what went forward
there agree on the correctness OF the YER
sion given by Senator Reed. on which
Senator Spencer based his charges.
other CorrobAratton.
Lee Merrlwether. who acted as a per-
sonal representative of President Wilson
in certain matters during the war issued
statement upholding Senator spencer.
This was az st. Louis on October 3. Mr..
Merriwether duo;ee what he said were
the Presidents exact words to Premier
Bratiano OF Rumania az reported by the
stenographic record OF tho eighth plenary
session of the council These words
agree with the quotation used by Sena-
tors Spencer and Reed. The same Ian
guage appears verbatim IN an article
BY Herbert Adams Gibbons in the Cen
tury MdOdsite for May. 1890.
Or. T. j. Dillon in his work. The In
side story OF the Peace Conference.
quotes Mr.. Wilson as saying in reply 20
Premier Bratiano's comparison OF the
Allies proposed Intervention with Rus
sia's protection % the Christians of
Turkey:
1--WE guarantee your frontiers ard
your territories That means that We
will send over arms, ships and men IN
case Of necessity. Therefore we pos
sess the right and recognize the duty
10 hinder the survival Of, a set OF de-
plorabie conditions which would render
this Intervention unavoidable
Commenting on the Presidents man
ner OF delivering this speech Mr.. Dillon
says in his book that it was delivered
with more than ordinary sweetness.
Tho up.hot OF the whole matter 10
that tho President branded Senator
Spencer as telling an untruth In his
charge that tho President promised mill
tary aid 10 Serbia and Rumania in case
of necessity. Mr. Wilson declared he
had never uttered such a thing. The
records brought 60 light apparently
prove that the President did say OK
actiy what Senator Spencer has charged
thai Senator spencer has more than
vindicated himself snd that the 1presi-