Excerpt from Trade Agreements Abroad

Perhaps we would have no well-founded right to quarrel with these nations if what is suggested should turn out to be the absolute truth. They have suffered together, and together have seen their vast accumulations wasted, to say nothing of their losses in life and losses in other ways. Perhaps it would be only natural for these nations, being victorious in the war, to turn a cold, icy face to America and all the balance of the world, crush Germany industrially as well as physically, and join in a common effort to rebuild their shattered fortunes by some form of concerted action without deference to other nations.

Mr. President, I think a policy of that kind would be shortsighted, resulting in retaliatory measures, and that the wounded nations would suffer most if they entered upon a struggle of that kind against the neutral nations of the world who might be most helpful in a time of such dire stress, and when the friendship of strong nations - nations opulent in every way and capable of aiding in every way - should be at the side of all the combatants to aid them instead of being driven into an unwilling enmity against any of them. But their views and ours may not be in accord.

Mr. President, I think this is as far as I care to go into this subject at this time. I shall conclude for the present by asking the unani mous consent of the Senate to print as a public document certain papers I hold in my hand bearing on this general subject, to which I respectfully invite the attention of my colleagues and of the country. I also ask that the remarks I have just made may be printed as a sort 0, explanatory introduction to this public document and as a part c it.

Mr. President, these papers, to which I have but barely alluded, contain, as I think, a great fund of valuable information to the Senate, to the Congress, and to the country. I should like to have the matter printed in the way I have suggested - as a public docu ment - and I ask that the papers may be printed in the order in which I have arranged them.

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