The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1918-12-16
POlNCARE'S TOAST TO
AMERICA AND PRESI-
DENT AND MRS. WILSON
AND OUR PRESIDENTS
REPLY.
Wilson to POincaire

Wilson to POincaire
Following is the text of President
Wilson's response to President Poin-
caire's address:
"Mr. President: I am deply in
debted to you for your gracious
greeting. 1t is very delightful to
find myself in France and to feel the
quick contact of sympathy and unaf-
fected friendship between the rep
resentatives of the United States
and the representatives of France.
"You have been very generous In
what you were pleased to say about
myself, but l feel that what have
said and what l have tried to do has
been said and done only in an at
tempt to speak the thought of the
people of the United States truly to
carry that though out in action.
From the first the thought of the
people of the United States turned
toward something more than the
mere winning of this war. 1t turned
to the establishment of eternal prin-
ciples of right and justice. 1t real
lied that merely to win the war was
not enough; that it must be won in
such way and the questions raised
by it settled in such a way as to in
sure the future peace of the world
and lay the foundations for the free
dom and happiness of it's many peo-
Piles and nations.
"Never before has war worn so
terrible a visage or exhibited more
grossly the debasing influence of il
licit ambitions. | am sure that l
shall look upon the ruin wrought by
the armies of the central empires
with the same repulsion and deep
Indignation that they stir in the
hearts of the men of France and Bel
gium, and | appreciate as you do,
sir, the necessity of such action in
the final settlement of the issues of
the war as will not only rebuku
such acts of terror and spoiIation,
but make men everywhere aware
that they cannot be ventured upon
without the certainty of just pun
ishment.
Il know with what ardor and en-
thusiasm the soldiers and sailors Of
the United States have given the
best that was in them in this war OF
redemption. They have expressed
the true spirit of America. They be-
lieve their ideals to be acceptable to
be acceptable to free peoples every
where and are rejoiced to have play
ed in giving reality to those ideals
n cooperation with the armies Of
the allies
I'VE are proud of the part they
have played and we are happy that
they should have been associated ,
with such comrades in conMoR
cause.
1T is with peculiar feeling, Nr.
President, that l find myself IN
France Joining with you in rejoicing
over the victory that has been wops =
The tics that bind France and the
United States are peculiarly close.
don't know in what other cOmrade-
ship we could have fought with
more zest or enthusiasm. 1t will
daily be a matter of pleasure with
me to be brought into consultation
with the statesmen of France and
her allies n concerting the measure
by which we may secure permanenCe
for these happy relations of friend
ship and cooperation and secure for
the wo,lc at large such safety and
freedom in its life as can be secured
on.y by the constant association and
cooperation of friends.
Il greet you not only with deep
respect, but as representa-
live of tn, great people of France,
and beg q bring you the greetings
u anothf' grea. people to whom
he fortunes Of France are of pro-
'ouDd and LISTING interest.
" raise ny glass to the health or
he oresid'rt Of the French repub-
ic and to Madame Poincaire and tho
ef France"