The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1920-01-17
PRESIDENT WILSON'S
MESSAGE TO The
JACKSON DAY DINERS
He Says: "Let People Decide
on Treaty in the Coming
Election

Washington Wilson, in
his message to the Jackson Day diners
in Washington Thursday night said
1.-The clear and single way" to deter
mine the will of the American people
on the league of nations was to make
it an issue at the next election.
Most of the presidents message was
devoted to an expression of his argu-
ment of why he considered it the duty
Of the United States to join in the
league of nations covenant and why he
considered the war not really won I'M
til it did Another attempt to crush
the new nations Of Europe would be
made. the president said, if the United
States held aloof
The president again expressed his
attitude toward reservations much as
he did at his conference with the SEN
ate foreign relations committee in this
language:
eff the senate wishes to say what
the undoubted meaning of the treaty
is l shall have no objection. There
can be no reasonable objection to in
terpretations accompanying the act of
ratification itself. But when the
treaty is acted upon l must know
whether 1t means that we have rati-
fled or rejected it. We can not re-
write this treaty. We must take it
without changes which alter it's mean
Ing or leave it, and then, after the rest
of the world has signed it, we must
face the unthinkable task of making
another and separate kind of treaty
with Germany"
The text of the message follows:
ut is with keenest regret that l
find that l am to be deprived of the
pleasure and privilege of joining you
and the other loyal democrats who are
to assemble tonight to celebrate Jack
son Day and renew their vows of
fidelity to the great principles of our
party, the principles which must now
fulfill the hopes not only of our own
people but of the world.
''The United States enjoyed the spir-
itual leadership of the world until the
senate of the United States failed to
ratify the treaty by which the bellig-
erent nations sought to effect the set.
Elements for which they had fought
throughout tho war. 1t is inconceiv-
able that at this supreme crisis and
final turning point in the international
relations of the whole world, when the
results of the great war are by no
means determined and are still ques-
tionable and dependent upon events
which no man can foresee or count
upon, the United States should with
draw from the concert of progressive
and enlightened nations by which Ger
many was defeated and all similar
governments (if the world be so I'M
happy as to contain any, warned of
the certain consequences of any at
tempt of like iniquity, and yet this
is the effect of the course the senate
Of the United States has taken with
regard to the treaty of Versailles
Old Stage Is Reset.
Germany is beaten, but we are
still at war with her. and the old |
stage is reset for a repetition of the |
Did plot. 1t is now ready for the re-
sumption of the old offensive and de- |
'ensive alliances which made settled |
peace impossible. 1t is now open |
again to every sort of intrigue. The
Did spies are free to resume their
former abominable activities They
are again at liberty to make it impos-
,ible for governments to be sure what
is being worked among their
own people, what internal disorders
ire being fomented. Without the cove
lant of the leauge of nations there
nay be as many secret treaties as
ever to destroy the confidence of gov
srnments in each other and their va
idity can not be questioned None
If the objects we professed to be fight
ng for has been secured or can be
made certain of without the nations
ratification Of the treaty and it's en-
ry into the covenant
Wars End Not Yet.
This nation entered the great war
o vindicate its own rights and to pro-
ect and preserve free government. It
vent into the war 10 see it through to
he end, and the end has not yet come.
t went into the war to make an end
# militarism, to furnish guarantees to
weak nations and to make just and
asting peace. 1t entered it with noble
Five of the leading bel
lgerents have accepted the treaty and
ormal notifications will soon be ex-
hanged. The question is whether