Excerpts of the President's News Conference

I think it is likely that the Senate will reach a vote on the treaty very soon. It is an especially important subject. In fact, I don't know of anything that has come before the Senate while I have been President that is of greater importance than this treaty. It would do more than anything else of which I know to stabilize and give expression to the peace sentiment of the world and greatly increase the probability of permanent peace. It would be a very complete answer on our part to the criticism that our country is sometimes under, especially to any suggestion that we had any motives of aggression toward any other country. I think the Senate understands the situation very well and that they want to ratify the treaty and are especially desirous of avoiding any action on the part of the Senate that could be interpreted either here or abroad as varying the terms of the treaty by making any amendments or reservations in relation to it. And with that situation before the Senate and before the country, I feel quite certain that the Senate will act favorably on it.