Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1920-06-04
President Returns Knox Peace
Resolution to Congress With
out His Signature.
MEASURE IS ASSA|LED
Such Methods Of Making Peace De-
eIared "Ineffaeeable Stain" On
Honor Of Nation-important
A Objects Of War Omitted.

Washington-The peace resolution
has been vetoed by President Wilson.
The text Of the Presidents message
follows:
Il return, herewith, without my sig
nature, House joint resolution 327, In
tended to repeal the joint resolution Of
April 6, 1917, declaring a state of war
to exist between the United States and
Germany, and the joint resolution OF
December Z, 1917 declaring state Of
war to exist between the United States
and the Austro- Hungarian government,
and to declare state Of peace. have
not felt at liberty to sign this Joint
resolution because l cannot bring my
self to become a party to an action
which would place inenacable stain
upon the gallantry and honor Of the
United States. This resolution seeks
to establish peace with the German
empire without exacting from the Ger
man government any action by way OF
setting right the infinite wrongs which
1t did to the peoples whom it attacked
and whom we professei it our purpose
to assist when we entered the war
Have we sacrificed the lives of
more than 100000 Americans and
ruined the lives of Thousands Of others
and brought upon thousands of Amer
lean families an unhappiness that can
never end for purposes which we do
not now care to state or take further
steps to attain? The attainment Of
these purposes is provided for in the
Treaty of Versailles by terms deemed
adequate by the leading statesmen and
experts of all the great peoples who
were associated in the war against
Germany. Do we now not care to join
in the effort to secure them?
I'VE entered the war most reluctant
ly. Our people were profoundly dis
inclined to take part in a European
war and at last did so, only because
they became convinced that it could
not in truth be regarded as only
European war, but, must be regarded
as q war in which civilization itself
was involved and human rights of
every kind as against belligerent
government ...-a r x .,.a- g.
Notwithstanding the fact that upon
our entrance into the war we prOfessed
to be seeking to assist in the mainte-
nance of common interests, nothing is
said in this resolution about the free
dom of navigation upon the seas, or
the reduction of ornaments, or the
of the rights Of Belgium, or
the rectification of wrongs done to
France, or the release of the Chris
tian populations of the Ottoman en-
pire from the intolerable subjugation
which they have had for so many gene
ratfons to endure, or the establishment
of an Independent Polish state, or the
continued maintenance Of any kind Of
understanding among the great powers
OF the world which would calculate
prevent in the future such outrages as
Germany attempted, and in part con-
summated.
I'VE have in effect declared that we
do not care to take any further risks
or to assume any further responsible
tiles with regard to the freedom Of ma
lions or the sacredness Of internation-
al obligation or the safety Of fndepen-
dent peoples. Such peace with Ger.
many--a peace in which none of the
essential interests which we had at
heart when we entered the war Is
safeguarded-is, or ought to be, fncOn-
.ceivable, is inconsistent with the dig.
nifty of the United States, with the
rights and liberties of her citizens and
with the very fundamental conditions
>of civilization.
~ .lope that in these statements l
have sufficiently set forth the reasons
why have felt 1t incumbent upon me
to withhold my signature.
WOODROW WILSON,"