The Washington herald., 1918-12-28
President Tells British King
Why He Went to
Europe.
ALL ARE IN ACCORD
Executive Finds English,
French and Italian
Statesmen Agree.
London. Dec z

London, Dec. II.
I'VE have great words, all Of Us.
We have the great words of
right and Justice and now we
are to prove whether or not we
understand these words and how
they are TO be applied to the par
ticular settlements which must
conclude this war"
President Wilson thus defined
the task of the worlds peace dele
gates in the course Of speech he
made tonight at state banquet in
Buckingham Palace, in reply TO
an address of welcome by King
George.
America" said the President.
docs love freedom, and ! believe
that she loves freedom unself-
ishly."
Yielding TO BE Easier.
He was happy TO state, Mr.. Wilson
added. that he had found himself in
complete accord with the statesmen
Of Great Britain. France and Italy.
as TO the significance and scope OF
the duty upon which we have met"
Again the President dwelt upon the
great tide running in the hearts OF
men" Of which the other day he
spoke in France as ''the great wind
OF moral force sweeping throughout
the world"
In his opinion the President said II
would take more courage 10 resist
this moral tide than to yield 20 Il
and obey it"
The President once more gave his
reason for breaking all precedents in
coming to Europe while in once. He
said, Nothing but the consciousness
that nothing else compares with this
errand in dignity and importance"
would have justified him in leaving
the important tasks which fan upon
me upon The ot1.er side of The sea-
These were. from q political point
Of view. the high spots of the
Presidents speech in response to an
eloquent toast by King George.
Mr. Wilson's address was undoubt-
edly the frankest. the most unconven-
tional and far and away the sincerest
utterance ever made to a European
ruler by the head OF another nation.
1t was utterly devoid Of ElitterinE
Ceneralities which traditiOnally mark
such speeches. and in form as well as
in contents it was unprecedented
Calls King Plain -sIr.-
Not once did Mr.. Wilson use the
phrase NYoUr majesty" Not once did
he utter words such as royal or
imperial"
He addressed King George just plain
Sir"
Thus in every respect this speech bv
the leader OF the worlds movement OF
democracy. addressed to the ruler ot
the most democratic monarchy in the
world. was indeed a "man-to-msn"
| speech, not the Ei,ded cush OF sOphis-,
7 try that has marked the rUler-tO-rUler
speeches that have been a European,
, tradition for centuries.
The speech was like the herald OF
a new age. And George Y, the Brit
( ish King and Emperor OF India.
liked it immensely. His visible,
pleasure at being thus spoken to-
was convincing explanation TO those
who did not already know. why It
/ is that this monarch sits today mora
firmly upon his throne and is more
! respected and beloved by his people
than ever, though the four years OF
war and its climax set thrones
| crashing or trembling everywhers
! about him.
And if President Wilson smashed
| preCedents and conventions, the
| King himself had done so in the
| speech to which the American EN-
| ecutive responded. It. too. was in
form and contents as democratic
| and as frank a speech as his hum
bIest subject might have addressed