Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-05-27
Wilson'S Message.


TO the House of Representatives:
Il return herewith. without INV
signature, House Joint Resolution
S21. intended to repeal the joint reso-
iutlon OF April 6, 1917. declaring
state of war to exist between the
United States and Germany, and the
joint resolution of December Z. 1917.
declaring a state of war to exist he
tween the United States and the Aus
dSsl B II sySf Seaee. j have er not oy
felt at Iibertvt TO sign this joint reso-
luton because ] cannot bring myself
10 become party to an action which
would place an inefiaceable stain up
on the gallantry and honor of the
United States. The resolution seeks
to establish peace with the German
empire Without .exacting from the
German government any action by
way of setting right the infinite
wrongs which it did to the peoples
whom 1t attacked and whom we pro
fessed it our purpose to assist when
We entered the war. Have-we sacri-
feed the lives Of more than 10000
Americans and ruined the lives OF
thousands of others and brought up
on thousands of American 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 pur-
poses IS provided for in the treaty of
Versailles by terms deemed adeauate
by the aeadng statesmen and experts
OF all tho great peoples who were as
sociated in the war against Germany
DO we now not care to join in the CT
fort to secure them?''
Accomplishes No Object of War.
We entered the war most reluc-
tantly. Our people were profoundly
disfnclined to take part in Euro
.pean war; and at last did So only be-
cause they became convinced that it
could not in truth be regarded as on-
garded as Il war in which civilization
itself was involved and human rights
of every kind as against q, belligerent
government. Moreover, when we en-
tered the war We set forth very
definitely the purposes for which we
entered, partly because We did not
wish to be considered as merely tax
joint resolution which I return does
not seek to accomplish any of these
objects but in effect makes a COM
plete surrender of the rights of the
United States so far as the German
government is concerned. A treaty
of peace was signed at Versailles on
the twenty-eighth of June last. which
which We had declared to be in our
minds, because all the great govern
ments and peoples which united
against Germany had adopted our
declarations of purpose as their own
and had in solemn form embodied
them in communications to the Ger
man government preliminary to the
the treaty as signed at Versailles has
been rejected by the senate. of the
United States, though it has been
ratified by Germany. BY that rejec-
tion and by it's methods we had in
effect declared that we wish to draw
apart and pursue objects and inter-
ests of our own, unhampered bf any
With other governments and peoples.
Rights No Wrong.
notwithstanding the fact, that
protested to be seeking to- assist in
the. maintenance OF common interests.
nothing is said in this resolution about
the freedom Of navigation upon the
seas, or the reduction Of ArmamentS,
or the vindication of the rights 7nf
Belgium or the rectifcationfo Of wrongs
done to France. or the release ,Of tsae
empire from the intolerRble snbsuEa-
tipn which they have had for -
many generations to endure or the
establishmsnt of an independeIf
Polish sstate. or the continued maintE-
nance OF any kind of understAndtn4f
among the great powers Of tho world
which would ~ calculated 70 prevent
maay attempteds and In part con -, h
mated. We have now In 9ffect
clafed that We do NOT care to ealrs 4
any further risks t0E to- aaeNn8e a4E