Omaha daily bee., 1920-05-28
TEXT OF PAPER
FROM PRESIDENT
VETOING PEACE

| VETOING PEACE
Washington, May 27.-President
Wilson's message vetoing the peace
resolution of congress follows:
ITO the House Of Representatives:
81 return, herewith. without my
signature, house joint resolution 327,
intended to repeal the joint resolu-
ton of April E, 1917, declaring a
state of war exists between the
United States and Germany, and the
joint resolution of December 7,
1917, declaring a state of war to
exist between the United States and
the Austro-Hungarian government,
and to declare a state of peace. l
have not felt at liberty to sign this
joint resolution because cannot
bring myself to become a party to an
action which would place inefface-
able stain upon the gallantry and
honor of the United States. The
resolution seeks to establish peace
with the German empire without ex-
acting from the German government
any action by way of setting right
the infinite wrongs which it did to
the peoples whom it attacked and
whom we profess 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 American
families an unhappiness that can
never end, for the purpose for which
we do not now care to state or take
further steps to attain? The attain
ment of these purposes is provided
for in the treaty OF Versailles by
terms deemed adequate by the lead
ing statesmen and exptrts of all
the great peoples who were asso-
ciated in the war against Germany.
Do we now not care to join in the
effort to secure them?"
Forced to Enter War.
I'VE entered the war most
reluctantly. Our people were pro-
foundly disinclined to take part in
a European war, and at last did so,
only because they became cou-
vinced that it could not in truth be
regarded as only European war,
but must be regarded as war in
which civilization itself was in
volved and human rights OF every
kind as against belligerent gov
ernment. Moreover, when we en-
tered the war we set forth very
definitely the purpose for which
we entered, partly because we did
not wish to be considered as merely
taking part in European contest.
This Joint resolution which | return
does not seek>to accomplish any OF
these objects, but in effect makes a
complete surrender of the rights OF
the United States so far as the Ger
man government is concerned. A
treaty of peace was signed at Yer
sailles on the 28th of June last,
which did seek to accomplish the
objects which we had declared to be
in our minds, because all the great
governments and peoples which
united against Germany had adopted
our declarations of purpose as their
own and had in solemn form en-
bodied them in communications to
the German government prelimi-
nary to the armistice of November
II, 1918. But the treaty as signed
at Versailles has been rejected by
the senate of the United States,
though it has been ratified by Ger
many. By that rejection and by its
methods we had in effect declared
that we wish to draw apart and
pursue objects and interests of our
own, unhampered by any connec-
tions of interest or of purpose with
other governments and peoples.
Maintain Common Interests.
Notwithstanding the fact that
upon our entrance into the war we
professed to be seeking to assist in
the maintenance of common inter
ests nothing is said in this resolu-
ton about the freedom of naviga-
ton upon the seas or the reduction
of ornaments, or the vindication Of
the rights of Belgium, or the recti-
flcation of wrongs done to France,
or the release of the Christian popu-
lations of the Ottoman empire
from the intolerable subjugation
which they have had for so many
generations to endure. or the es-
tablishment of an independent Pol
ish state, or the continued main
tainment of any kind of understand
ing among the great powers of the
world which would be calculated to
prevent in the future such outrages
as Germany attempted, and in part
consummated. We have now, in
effect. declared that we do not care
to take any further risks or to as
sumo any further responsibilities
with regard to the freedom of ma
tions or the sacredness of interna-
tional obligations or the safety of
independent peoples. Such a peace
with GERMANY 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, inconceivable, is inconsistent
with the dignity of the United
States, with the rights and liberties
of its citizens, and with .the very
fundamental conditions of civiliza-
ton.
II hope that in these statements
l have sufficiently set forth the rea-
sons why l have felt it ipcumbent
unNn me To Mifhhold M. 4...a