Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-05-28
Wilson's Message
To House Vetoing
Peace Resolution

W dSIlinStOn, MAY Zi,-RFeSllcl /
Wilson'S message vetoiag the peac,
resolution follows:
ITO the house of representatives
Il return, herewith, without m,
signature, house joint resolution
327, intended to repeal the join
resolution of April 6, 1917 declar
| ing a state of war to exist bctweeE
the United States and Germany ant
the joint resolution of December 7
1917, declaring a state of war tC
exist between the United States and
| the Austro- Hungarian govern
mcnt, and to declare a state of
peace. | have not felt at liberty
to sign this joint resolution be-
cause cannot bring myself to be-
come party to an action which
would place ineffaceablc stain up
on the gallantry ana 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 1t did to the
people whom II attacked and whom
we profess ii our purpose to assist
when we entered the war, Have
we sacrificed the lives of more than
100, 600 Americans and ruined tho
lives of thousands of others and
I,At,,yI,t tl1ntnnIG nj m N
lean families an unhappiness that
can never end for purposes which
we do not now care to state or take
further steps to attain? The az
tainment of these purposes is pro-
vided for in the treaty of Nersail-
les by terms deemed adequate by
the leading statesmen and experts
of all the great peoples who were
associated in the war against Ger
many. Do we not care to join IN
the effort to secure them?
Entered War Reluctantly.
1--WE entered the war most re-
Iuctantly. Our people were pro-
foundly dlsinclined to take part in
European war and at last did so,
only because they became con-
vinced that IL could not in truth be
regarded as only European war,
but must be regarded as a war In
which civilization itself was in
volVed and human rights of every
kind as against a belligerent gov
ernment. Moreover when we en-
tered the war we set forth very de-
finitely the purposes for which we
entered, partly because we did not
wish to be considered az merely
taking part in a European contest
This toint resolution which ! re-
turn does not seek to accomplish
any of these objects, but in erect
makes a complete surrender OF the
rights of the United States so far
as the German government is con
cerned. A treaty Of peace was
signed at Versailles on the
twenty eighth of June. last. which
did seek to accomplish the
objects which we had declared toI
be in our minds, because all the
great governments and peoples
which united against Germany had
adopted our declarations of pur-
pose as their own and had in sol
emn form embodied them in com
munications to the German govern
ment, preliminary 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 1t has been
ratified by Germany, BY that re-
lection and by it's methods we had
in effect declared that we wish 10
draw apart and pursue objects ana
interests of our own, unhampered
bv any connections of interest or
of purpose with other governments
and peoples.
Notwithstanding the fact thai
unon 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-
tiOn about the freedom of naVisa-
tfon upon the seas, or the reduction
Of armaments, or the vindicaion OF
the rights of Belgium, or the recu
ricatIon of wrongs done to France
,r the release of the christian pop
,Iations of the Ottoman empire
from the intolerable subjection
which they have had for so many
to, endure, or the es-
.ablishment of an Independent
polieh state. or the continued
OF any kind of under
standing among the great powers
# the world which would be cal
,uIated to prevent in the future
.uch outrages as Germany attempt
ID, and in part contaminated we
rave now in effect declared that
ye do not care to take any iurther
isks or to assume any furthef
with regard TO the
reedom of nations or the sacred
less of International obligations, or
he safety of independent peoples.
.uch a peace with GERMANY
oace in which none of the essential
which we had at heart
,hen we entered the war is safe
or ought to be. in
onceivable, is inconsistent with
he dignity of the United States,
18th the rights and liberties of her
itizens, and with the very funda-
rental conditions of civilization.
81 hope that in these statements
have sufficiently set forth the
easons why l have felt it incum |
ent upon me to withhold my sig
ature. VI
"WOODROW WILSON. n,
The White House, May 81, 1920."I (