Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-28
TEXT OF WILSON'S
SPEECH DELIVERED
AT WHITE HOUSE
CONTINUED from Page ~

matter who attempts them in the
future. 1t is as exact defin1-
ton as could be given in gen
eral terms Of the outrage which
Germany would have committed
if it could. Germany violated
the territorial integrity of her
.neighbors and flouted their po-
litica1 independence in order to
aggrandize herself, and almost
every war of history has origi-
mated in such designs. 1t is sig
niflcant that the nations of the
world should have at last COM
bined to define the general cause
of war and to exercise such con-
cert as may be, necessary to- pre-
vent such methods.
Article X. therefore. is the
specific redemption of the pledge
which the free governments of
the world gave to their people
when they entered the war. They
promised their people not 'only
that Germany would be prevent
ed from carrying out her plot, but
that the world would be safe
lar designs. We have now to
choose whether we will make
good or quit. We have Joined
issue. and the issue is between
the spirit and purpose of the
United States and the spirit and
purpose of Imperialism. no mat
fer where it shows itself The
spirit Of imperialism is abso-
luteiy opposed to free govern
tions. to the development of
neaceful industry, and to the
completion of the righteous pro-
cesses of civilization. 1t seems
to me, and 1 think it will seem to
YOU. that it is our duty to show
the indomitable will and ire
sistible majesty of the high pur-
pose of the United States. 80
that the part we played in the
be crowned with the achievement,
of lasting peace. No one who OPP
poses the ratification of the
treaty of Versailles and the
adoption of the covenant of the
League of Nations has proposed
any other adequate means of
bringing about settled peace.
NO Other Means
There is no other available or
is ready to hand. They have, on
the contrary, tried to persuade
you that the very pledge contain
ed in Article x, which is the es-
sential pledge of the whole plan
of security, is itself a threat of
war. 1t is, on the contrary, an
assurance of the concert Of all
the free peoples of the world in
the future, as in the recent past,
to see justice done and humanity
protected and INDICATED. This is
the true, the real Americanism.
This is the role of leadership and
championship of the right which
the leaders of the republic in
tended that it should play. The
so-called Americanism which we
hear SO much prating about now
is spurious and invented for
party purposes only.
This choice is the supreme
choice of the present campaign.
1t is regrettable that this choice
should be associated with q party
contest. AS compared with the
choice of a course of action that
now underlies every other, the
fate of parties is a matter of in
difference. Parties are sign:fi-
cant now in this contest only be-
cause the voters must make up
their minds which of the two
parties Is most likely to secure
the, indispensable result. The
nation was never called upon to
make more solemn determina-
ton than it must now make.
The whole future moral force of
right in the world depends upon
the United States rather than
upon any other nation and it
would be pitiful indeed. If. after
so many great free peoples had
entered the great league, we
should hold aloof. 7 suggest that
the candidacy Of every candidate
for whatever office be tested by
this question: Shall we or shall
, we not redeem the great moral
obligation Of the United States?