The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-07
Mr.. Wilson Gives the Lie to
Senator Who Told the Truth.


Senator Who Told the Truth.
Yesterday there was printed letter
addressed on Monday by President
WILSON to Senator SPENCER Of Mis-
souri, containing this crude and d.
rect imputation of untruthfulness:
Have Just been shown your state
mont that my secretary's denial OF
the previous statement by you that
I had promised American military
aid TO Rumanians and Serbs was
issued by him without my knowl-
edge and sanction. and that you did
not for moment believe that had
made any such denial or that the
matter was ever called to my atten-
ton by Mr.. TUMULTY and that 1
requested him to issue the denial
to which you refer. / reiterate the
denial The statement you made
was false
The incident is of surprising I'M
portance, beyond the ordinary inter-
est which attaches TO such issues
of yeracity. This matter goes TO the
very heart Of the question whether
the "honor" Of the United States is
engaged by such pledges rs were made
at the Conference by President WILL
SON on his individual responsibility
hut In the name of the Government
- .tnfx h. xr-nd hn col for a
representative honor which can be
preserved, as he persistently main
tains, and pledges which can be re-
deemed only by entering his League
Of Nations and becoming party to
his Covenant.
Senator SPENCER stated in one Of
his campaign speeches that President
WILSON at Paris, when urging upon
representatives of the minor Powers
like Rumania and Serbia a recogni-
ton by treaty Of the right of the
greater Powers to intervene in do
nestle affairs in behalf of minorities
had promised In return a guarantee
Of American military assistance In
case of attack OR the frontiers of the
smaller Powers.
Senator WADswoRTH in his speeches
in this State has been saying sub
stantially the same thing: attributing
to Mr.. WILSON assurances of guaran-
teed military aid by America "to the
Rumanians and Serbians when they
came to him in Paris asking him
about his League of Nations"
Both Senator SPENcER's and Sem
ator WADswoRTH's statements seem
10 have had their foundation In a
speech delivered in the Senate on
February 2. 1920, by the Democratic
Senator REED. Mr.. REED then said:
"A speech made by President
WILSON to the Rumanian and Ser
bian delegation makes Il perfectly
plain that the signing OF this obli-
CATION 1.-THE Covenant compels us TO
send our soldiers TO Europe every
time the fighting cock of the weather
vane shall turn IN the direction of
people TO sign the Covenant of the
League. and this Is what he had
to say:
IF these States are solidly estab-
lished. thanks 70 the treaty which
we are making together. the right
belongs TO the Powers which will
guarantee the execution OF the treaty,
In the last analysis. 70 see TO IL that
the conditions in which these States
win be established are OF a sort to
insure tho public peace.
TT the world should be troubled
again. n tho conditions which we all
regard as fundamental are challenged.
the guarantees which will be given
10 you THAT Is. to Serbia and Ru-
manIa1 will pledge that tho United
States will send It's army and feet
across the ocean. Is II surprising,
under such conditions. that IL should
desire TO reach a solution of the
various problems9'
They have been telling the women
OF the country that we will never
have 10 go to war again; yet hero
N the President telling the represen-
tatives Of Serbia and Rumania that
The United States proposes to send
Ms men and It's feet across the ocean
60 maintain their Governments"
When Secretary TUMULTY issued
from the White House n statement
chsracterizlng Senator SPENcER's Ian
guage as absolutely and unquali-
hedly false" the Senator. with his
Democratic colleagues speech Of last
February In mind. concrete and posi-.