Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-06-03
PRESIDENT vETOES
PEACE RESOLUTION
To Approve the Measure, He
Tells Congress, Would Be "An
Ineffaceable Stain" on the
Nations Honor

Washington. May 27.--President Will
son vetoed the peace resolution to-day
and Informed Congress he could not
become party to the peace program
framed by Republican leaders of the
senate and House because he consid-
cred It would put IAN ineffaceable
stain" on the nations honor.
To establish technical peace by such
a method, the President said in his
veto message. would be to effect
complete surrender of the rights OF
the United states as far as Germany
is concerned" and to relinquish all the
high purposes which led the nation IN
to war and which were embodied IN
the rejected treaty OF Versailles.
The Presidents act apparently
brought to another and final deadlock
the efforts of the present administra-
ton and Congress to agree on peace
settlement. Republican leaders con-
coded they had no chance to pass the
resolution over the executives Veto
though an attempt will be made IN the
House tomorrow. and on both sides it
was predicted that the issues of the
treaty controversy would have to be
fought out in the political campaign
with Democrats and Republican blam-
ing each other for the failure to con-
summate a state of peace.
In his message the President did not
indicate whether he might again sub
nit the treaty to the Senate for rat
ification, but he said the resolution
raised against the question of whether
the United States cared to draw apart
from tho rest OF the world or to join
with other nations in attaining the
ends to which the treaty was framed.
The veto had been expected by the Re-
publican leaders and they made plans to
close the incident promptly by record
vote on repassage of the resolution. The
message went first to the House where
it's reading was greeted with cheers by
Democrats and derision by Republicans.
Without discussion it was agreed to take
vote at noon tomorrow.
The general prediction on the Republic
can side was that the resolution would
fall short by only a few votes OF the
two-thrds necessary to repass It, In
the Senate, however. it was conceded
that the prospect was altogether hopeless.
the Democrats standing almost solidly
with the President.
For the most part. Senate and House
leaders refrained from comment on the
Presidents action. The general tenor of
was that the executive and not Congress
now must bear the responsibility if the
nation continued technically at war,
while among the Democrats it was reiter-
ated that the nation still would hold the
Republican Senate to account for the
failure to ratify the treaty.
Representative Fess of Ohio. chair
man of the Republican congressional
committee, declared in formal state
ment that the President alone was to
blame and that the people were with the
Republican leaders in their attempt to
end through the resolution an ''intoler-
able situation"
President Wilson concluded his veto
measure by saying:
Notwithstanding the fact that upon
our entrance into the war we professed
to be seeking to assist in the mainten-
ance Of common interest. nothing is said
in this resolution about the freedom of
navigation upon the seas of the reduc-
ton of ornaments or the vindicauon OF
the rights of Belgium or the modification
of wrongs done to France. or the re-
lease of the Christian population of the
of the Ottoman Empire from the intoler-
able subjugation which they have had
for so many generations to endure, or
the establishment OF an independent Po-
lish state, or the continued maintenance
of any kind Of understanding among The
great powers of the world which would
be calculated to prevent in the future
such outrages as Germany attempted and
in part contaminated. We have now in
effect declared that We do not care TO
take any further risks or to assume any
further responsibilities with regard to
the freedom of nations or the sacredness
of International obligations or the safety
of independent peoples. Such a peace
with Gernany-e peace in which none
Of the essential interests which we had
at heart when we entered the war is
safeguard--is. or ought to be, inconciev-
able. is inconsistent with the dignity of
the United States. with the rights and
liberties of her citizens. and with the
very fundamental conditions of civiiza-
ton.
II hope that in these statements |
have sufficiently set forth the reasons
why ] have felt it incumbent upon me
to withhold my signature.
WOODROW WILSON.