The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-11
"0fficiaI Version" Of Words
at Peace Conference At
tackled by Senators Reed
and Spencer.
PRESIDENT MiSQUOTE o
Stenographer Carlson Says
Faulty Translation Cause
of misunderstanding.

Fauty translation Cause
of misunderstanding.
Washington. Oct. 1t-(A. P.)-
The White House made public today
wnat was described as an "offclai
version" OF President Wilson's ad.
dress at the eighth pIenary session
or the Paris peace conference. The
exact wording OF this address, dl-
reeted to the representatives Of
Rumanla Serbia and Czecho-Slo-
vakla, has been the subject Of con-
troveTsy between the president and
Senator Spencer, republican, Mis-
Il souri,.
The senator has declared In a DO
I lticai speech that the president had
L promised RumanIa and Serbia that
"if any nation ever invaded their
/ territory he would send the Amer
: lean army across the seas to defend
Z their boundary lines"
Mr.. Wilson, in telegram TO the sen
+ ator on Oct. s. said that this Statement
was false" In reply. Senator Spen'
Ger called for the official record, saying
| that the statement to which he referred
FNwas in the "stenographic notes" of The
\ eighth plenary session, in which the
president was reported to have said:
You must not forget that It is force
that is the final guaranty of the peace
troubled the United States will send
TO this side OF the ocean, their army
and their feet"
Presidents Words.
The presidents words as given in the
official version follow:
How can a power Ike the United
States, for example-and can
speak for M other-after signing
this treaty, II It contains elements
which they do not believe will tie
permanent, 60 5000 miles away
,cross the sea and report to its peo.
,ie that Il has made a settlement Of
he peace Of the world. II cannot
10 SO. And yet there underIles all
" these transactions the expecta-
Ion on the. part, for example, OF
7umanIa aAd Of Czecho- Slovakla,
and Of Serbia, that II any covenants
of this settlement are not observed,
the United States Will send her
armies and her naVies to see that
they are observed.
The official version of the. full text of
the presidents address was furnished
to the White House last week by Fred
A. Carlson, OF Chicago, who was an Of
fetal stenographer with the American
peace delegation and who wrote that
he would be glad e swear ,S.. -s,s to me ac-
sons letter was dated Oct. 6. and was
addressed I'd Charles L. Sven, stenog--
rapher to the president. He explained
that he had read Senator Spencers re-
ply to the president in the Chicago
newspapers; that he had just gone over
his notes and that he could hnd no
such statement" as that attributed to
MFR. Wilson by the senator. He added
that 1t was barely possible that the quo
tation "was rom a translation INTO
English OF NJ. Mantoux or translation
into French of the presidents remarks
and, as you know. the translators some
times mixed things bit.
Sadly Mlsquoted.
IT wish | were in position to make
public what the president said" wrote
AR Carlson, "for feel that the presi-
dent Is sadly msquoted. hut, OF course
as the meeting was a secret one, Gun
saw nothing" Mr.. Carlsons letter was
made public by Secretary Tumulty WIN
this comment ,
Senator Spencer, in his repy to Pres,
ident Wilson's telegram of Oct. 3. said
he statement which he had attributed
to the president was made upon tho
floor of the senate on Feb z. l9Zu' oy
Senator Reed and so far as ! nave
learned has never been denied UNI"
now" poos
In his speech of Feb. 2, Senator Reed
1,1oted from a copyrighted syndicated
irticle by Frank H Simonds, whlch
TO give the text of the presi-
lcnts address at the eighth plenary
session. and which Senator Johnson
,enuhlIcan, California caused to be IN
,erted into the Congressiohaf I'eco'u o'
Dec. 4. 1919.
Along with Mr.. Carlsons transcript,
he White House issued IN paraHeI
columns "for comparison the version
# the presidents speech as gwen III
lr. Spencers articles as II nppI"t' ~
he Congressional Record. In the op-
,osite column from the official version
4 the presidents words MS previously
uoted, appears the following: A.
"How could the government OF uIe
-nited States go before the congress
nd people Of the United states anu
,r,tend that 1t had assisted in insurlng |
he peace of the world, II it believed |
hat the settlement agreed upon mere |
gntained unstable or dangerous angh, !
nents? If tho world should be troubIca |
gain, IL the conditions when we a., |
cgard as fundamental are chalehseu, |
he guarantees which will he gwen yon
rnl pledge that the United states W. thn
end its army and fleet across Nv
cpan. Is 1t surprising. under such
additions. that it should desire 10
each a solution of the various prop
ms which seem to it satisfactory
Had Wilson's ApproVal l. -,...
Beyond pointing out that S,r laa,s"r
vas the "oflcal shorthand reporter
,ho reported the secret proceedings OF
he elChth plenary session and Wpte
IN tho statements as President wilson
rade, Mr. Tunu'tv offered no further
oument nor was any statement from
he president himself Forthcoming. ~
.as stated in White House circles that
Waking public, Carlson's iritor. "ith ms
f.nooroDh'c rcport of tho prC dents
f'erancos. had the sanction ana ap-