-4- " . I have not felt at liberty to sign this joint resolution because I can not bring myself to become party to an action which would place an ineffaceable stain upon the gallantry and honor of the United States. The resolution seeks to establish peace with the German Empire without exacting from the German Government any action by way of setting right the infinite wrongs which it did to the peoples whom it attacked and whom we professed it our purpose to assist when we entered the war. Have we sacrificed the lives of more than 100,000 Americans and ruined the lives of thousands of others and brought upon thousands of American families an unhappiness that can never end for purposes which we do not now care to state or take further steps to attain? ". . . when we entered the war we set forth very definitely the purposes for which we entered, partly because we did not wish to be considered as merely taking part in a European contest. This joint resolution which I return does not seek to accomplish any of these objects, but in effect makes a complete surrender of the rights of the United States so far as the German Government is c oncerned. "But the treaty as signed at Versailles has been rejected by the Senate of the United States, though it has been ratified by Germany. By that rejection and by its method we have in effect declared that we wish to draw apart and oursue objects and interests of our own, unhampered by any connections of interest or of purpose with other Governments and peoples" (59 Cong. Rec. Pt. 9, pp. 7747, 7748. ) However, on July 2, 1921, President Harding signed a Joint Resolution declaring "at an end" the state of war "declared to exist between the Imperial German Government and the United States of America by the Joint Resolution of Congress approved April 6, 1917". It also declared |