, 1921-05-01
KICKING YOUR BEST FRIEND.

1t is to be regretted that some of the French news
papers have permitted their understanding to be
rlouded by their ignorance and disappointment, and
have so Tar forgotten themselves as to bring into ques-
ton the gosd Intentions and honor of their good
Friends the people of the United States.
This is done when one of the Paris journals makes
othe assertion that the people of the United States
are trying ito slip out at the last minute after hav-
ing allowed their representative to negotiate an un-
derstanding in their name"
Such a statement lacks the merit of common de-
cency il not common honesty; and no American news
paper worthy the respect of its readers but will an
swer n challenge of such character.
The answer to the challenge is this; The United
States has neither directly nor indirectly endeavored
to evade any of its obligations, legal or moral. 1t
Stands ready today TO serve the world in larger meas
ure than it is under obligations to serve and II will
not shirk any responsibility which could possibly be
imposed upon it By the due observance of interna-
tional ethics.
The world is familiar with the history of the action
of the people of the United States with reference to
the whole Versailles episode. The world is also fully
informed of the joint authority conferred by our con-
)stitution upon the president and the senate in the
power to make treaties. So when te Paris MIDI
|tnd other newspapers of the French capital under
lthke to say that it is beside the point that an Amer
Jean president IS not qualified to conclude treaties
by himself and that sit is not the custom of other
nations to slip out at the. last minute after having
allowed their representative to negotiate an under
standing in their name
The people of the United States did not permit
Mr.. Wilson to negotiate an understanding in their
name. On Octobe rs, 1918, just pior to the con-
gTessional elections Of that year, President Wilson
issued an appeal to the voters of the country in which
he said:
''The return of a Republican majority to each
house of Congress would be interpretated on the other
side of the water as a reputation Of my leadership
The peoples of the allied countries with whom
we are associated against Germany are quite familiar
with the significance of elections. They would find
it very difficult to believe that the voters of the
United States had chosen to support the president by
electing to the Congress a majority control by those
who are not in fact in sympathy with the attitude and
action of the administration = . . In these critical
days if it is your wish to sustain me with undivided
minds l beg that you will say so in a way which it
will not be possible to misunderstood either here at
home or among our associates on the other side of
the sea"
Upon that issue thus plainly stated the people of
he United States repudiated Woodrow Wilson. 1t
as a reputation based upon his appeal for a vote
+ confidence for the particular purpose of assuring
Soreign nations of his continued leadership,
That, however, was not all. Thirty-nine members
the United States senate served notice upon Wood
w Wilson, which notice was published in all the al
d nations, declaring that those senators, c~onstitut-
& a controlling number in the matter of ~ratifica-
on of a treaty, would not confirm a treaty into
Rhieh was woven a League of Nations covenant.
1t is false, therefore, to assert that the American
people ALLOWED their representative to negotiate an
understanding in their name" And it is a libel upon
the United States to declare that because this repub-
lie refused to ratify, under the circumstances here
Wilson negotiated, it is trying ito slip out at the
last minute"
If the Paris midi" and newspapers of its type
lack the intelligence to grasp as plain n proposition
as is presented in the American refusal to accept the
Versailles treaty with the interviewer league covenant,
then why, in the name of international amity do they
attempt to write upon such subjects, and wantOnly in
suit the people of the nation that has proved from
the beginning of its history, the sincerest and staunch-
est friend France ever possessed?