But, instead of anything like that, the President, as soon as they gathered in the library, took out a paper and began to read his conclusions! That stag¬ gered the Jewish ambassadors at once—the President was reading his conclusions! He was “telling” them!
The President’s statement is really worth reading, but it is far too lengthy to present here. He called attention to the right which this country exercised to say who shall and who shall not sojourn here, and also to the conflicting interpretations which American secretaries of State had given the Russian treaty. He contrasted with that Russia’s consistent inter¬ pretation from the beginning. He then said that the treaty was sacred because under it for more than 50 years the citizens of the United States had made their TAFT ONCE TRIED TO RESIST JEWS-AND FAILED 205 • investments in Russia—resting solely on their faith in the United States’ and Russia’s treaty honor. He said that if it were a new treaty that was being written, the case would be different; he would then consider the Jewish argument of weight. But, he said, we had other treaties