Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-07
freed BACKS CLAIM
PRESIDENT PLEDGED
j. S. MILITARY AID
Senator Spencer Again Asks
Mr.. Wilson of Alleged Ru-
mania-Serbia Promise.
By the Associated Press.

lSenator James A. Reed, In telegram
late yesterday to United States Sena-
tor Spencer, asserted that President
Wilson had made a statement pledg-
Ing American military aid to Rumania
and Serbia, In an address at the peace
conference on May 81, 1919. The text
lef the address did not pass the censor
until December 3, 1919, when 1t was
drought to this country by a news
paper correspondent and published In
The Washington Star on that date.
The speech also appeared In full In
the Congressional Record on Deem
Der 4, 1919, the telegram added.
Senator Reeds telegram was sent In
response to one from Senator Spencer
The telegram urged the President
to produce the stenographic records
Of the peace conference "te show just
dents statement also was copyrighted
by newspaper syndicate and given
wide circulation.
Text Of Telegram.
ION several occasions I challenged
| the attention of the Senate to this
speech" the telegram continued; my
speeches by scores of thousands were
! circulated through the country. Nu-
! merous publicists and speakers have
| repeatedly referred to and commented
upon this declaration of the President.
Its authenticity was never disputed
on the floor of the Senate or else
where to my knowledge until Mr..
Tumulty recently denounced it as
false. The speech bears upon it's face
evidence of it's authenticity, as it Is
couched in the well known phrase
olegy of the President. In view of
not be inclined to accept Mr.. Tumul-
TVS denial. There is one way this dis
pute can be settled. Let the Presi-
dent produce the stenographic records
of the peace conference showing just
| what was said. These official reports
have been studiously suppressed and
kept secret, although the Senate for
eign relations committee asked ex-
pressly for them. 1t was stated by
Clemenceau's private secretary that
1.-THE reason why the sessions were
held in secret was because the Presi-
dent of the United States insisted
| upon it as against Clemenceaus own
Judgment.
Points to LnnsinE's Testimony.
That the latter statement is alb
solutely correct is shown by the tes-
timony of Secretary Lansing given
before the foreign relations commit
tee of the Senate August 8. 1919. See
part six. printed hearings. page 145."
| Following dispatch Of the telegram
to Senator Spencer. Senator Reed
gave out statement in which he
said:
What now do we understand? That
President Wilson now means we are
not to be under obligations to send
our armies to protect Rumania and
other members of the league against
attack?
"If so. what becomes of article x,
which, he declares, is the heart of the
covenant?"
Controversy els Immaterial"
after ALL" Senator Reed continued.
l"thls controversy is immaterial Artf-
tcle x of the league of nations explic-
Iitly provides that we undertake to
preserve against external aggression
the territorial integrity and indie
tpendence of other members of the
league. That means we join the
league, therefore, to defend Rumania
lserve their existing political inde-
lpendence. That obligation may at any
thine call upon US to send our armies
land navies across the ocean. This Is
lust what the President in his speech
is alleged to have promised. The
lstatements are as alike as two eggs
laid by the same chicken.
Besides that, the President demand
led at a time when he regarded our en-
trance into the league as certain a
istanding army of $4,000 men; uni
Iversal draft for all boys as soon as
they arrived at the age of eighteen;
Ienactnent OF laws to enable the Pres
iident to apply the draft to all per-
Isons between eighteen and forty-five
years whenever the United States
lshould be engaged in war; 100000
sailors and marines for the Navy and
an appropriation of $913,000,000 to
build the greatest fleet of war vessels
lever attempted at one time.
1.-The Presidents Secretary of War,
Mr.. Baker, and chief Of staff, Gen.
March, both testified before congress
lsional committees that this immense
military establishment was necessary
to redeem our obligations"
| President's Position Peculiar.
CHICAGO, October 7.-Republican
headquarters have issued a statement
signed by Senator Harry S. New of
| the Senate committe on foreign re-
lations, declaring that Senator Selden
P. Spencer of Missouri has "the best of
Authority" in quotations he attributed
to President Wilson concerning the
/ sending of American soldiers over
seas.
| president Wilson's position is very
peculiar. for the quotation attributed
to him by Senator Spencer he's been
attributed to him in many public
speeches and statements" the state
ment added.
| Senator News statement also said
that, besides the official stenographic
records of the peace conference, many
semi-off1cial reports of the conference