[Enclosure]
Senate Resolution No. 361 of the Sixty-fifth
Congress, Third Session, Submitted December 3, 1918
Whereas the United States of America entered the war with Germany and
Austria-Hungary in order to vindicate the ancient rights of navigation
as established under international law and in order to remove forever
the German menace to our peace; and
Whereas the splendid effort of the American people and the valor of our
soldiers and sailors during a year and a half, when added to the
enormous sacrifices, the steadfast fortitude, and the noble courage
displayed by our allies during more than four years, have made possible
the attainment of those aims, now best expressed as restitution,
reparation, and guaranties against the German menace; and
Whereas the surrender of Germany and Austria-Hungary to the terms of the
armistice has attained a great part, and has rendered enforceable the
remainder of those aims; and
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Whereas conferences are about to take place with the purpose to complete,
to perfect, and to guarantee the attainment of the war aims aforesaid
and thus to pass to the state of formal peace: Therefore be it
Resolved, That the purposes of the United States
of America in those conferences should be confined to the aforesaid aims
and matters germane thereto.
- Second. That for the safeguarding of those aims the first
essential is a definite understanding that the same necessity
arising in the future there shall be the same complete accord and
cooperation with our chief cobelligerents for the defense of
civilization.
- Third. That any project for any general league of nations or for
any sweeping change in the ancient laws of the sea as hitherto
recognized as international law and violated by the Teutonic powers
should be postponed for separate consideration not alone by the
victorious belligerents but by all the nations, if and when at some
future time general conferences on those subjects might be deemed
useful.
Resolved further, That immediately upon compliance
with the terms of the armistice and the guaranteed attainment of the war
aims as aforesaid, the Army and Navy of the United States should be
withdrawn from foreign territories and waters except in so far as their
retention might be temporarily necessary to establish the status
contemplated by the armistice; and further that the extraordinary powers
conferred upon the President for the prosecution of the war should be
withdrawn and the country restored to a normal condition of peace with
the greatest possible celerity consistent with the national
interest.
