The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-16
WILSON EXPLAINS
AMERICA s REASON
FOR ENTERING WAR
President, in Address at Paris
City Hall Ceremonies, Tells
French Officials How Huns
Shocked World.
CALLS AMBITIONS OF
ENEMY ILLICIT PLAN

50 Side Because of Love Of
Right and Out of Sympathy
Over Atrocities.
PARIS, Dec 16-President Wilson
delivered an address today at the city
hall, where ceremonies had been ar
ranged, The president replied to the
greeting extended him.
Your greeting has raised many emo
tons within me-" the president began.
1t is with no ordinary sympathy that
the people of the United States, for
whom ! have the privilege Of speaking
have viewed the sufferings Of the people
of France. Many of our own people
have been themselves witnesses Of those
sufferings. We were more deeply
moved by the wrongs of the war be
cause we knew the manner in which
thSy were perpetrated.
Il beg that you will not suppose that
| because wide ocean separated us in
space we were not in effect eyewit-
nesscs to the shameful ruin that was
wrought and the cruel and unnecessary
sufferings that We're brought upon you,
These sufferings have filled our hearts
with Indignation. We know what they
were. not only, but we know what they
to the quick by them, our imaginatons
| filled with the whole picture of what
France and Belgium In particular had
experienced
Illicit Schemes.
When the United States entered the
war, therefore, they entered 1t not only
because they were moved by convic-
ton that the purposes Of the central
! empires were wrong and must be re-
| sisted by men everywhere who loved
| liberty and the right, but also because
| the illicit ambitions which they were
| entertaining and attempting to realize
| had led to the practices which shocked
! our hearts as much as they offended
| our principles.
Our resolution was formed because
we knew how profoundly great princi-
| Piles of right were affected, but our
| hearts moved also with our resolution.
You have been exceedingly generous
in what you have been gracious enough
| to say about me-. generous far beyond
\ my personal desefts, bat you have in
| terpreted with real insight the motives
and resolution Of the people Of the
| United states Whatever Influence
exercise, whateyer authority i speak
jyifhs saaFtAse len. " ~, ,s j. stAtw nhai
| they lfSpe thnngsf. know vi litrt tlttes
| have desired, and when | have spoken
| what / know was in their minds 1t has
DSeH ueHRHLIul TO see now the Cull~
| sciences and purposes of free men ev-
erywhere responded. We have merely
| established our right to the fun fellow
| ship of these peoples here and through
out the world who reverence the right
of genuine liberty and justice.
Feels at Home.
You have made me feel very much
at home here, not merely by the de-
| lightful warmth Of your welcome but
| also by the manner in which you have
made me realize to the utmost the init
mate community of thought and ideal
| which Characterizes your people and the
| the time to represent, Your welcome
to Paris | shall always remember as one
| of the unique and inspiring experiences
| of my life, and while | feel that you are
| honoring the people of the United
| States in my person, I shall neVerthe-
personal qualification in looking back
upon these memorable days.
| Permit me to thank you from full
heart"
In addressing President Wilson at the
| CRY hall ceremonies, Adrien Mithouard
| president of the municipal council OF
| Paris said
Speaks for Council.
II have the honor in the presence OF
the president Of the republic, to present
! to you the municipal council Of Paris
| whose interpreter | am, in welcoming
| the chief Of the great nation whose aid,
| arriving so opportunely, brought us vic
tory and the upright man whose con
science fashioned his policy and whose
diplomacy was made of loyalty,
Turning to Mrs, Wilson, M. NTH
Guard said:
Madame: Paris is infinitely happy
| nd ic not W n
companied the president have been
good enough to add to the OCCASION the
| charm and grace Of your presence. We
! have long been aware Of your devotion
and of the wise and beneficent activity
you have shown by the side of your
| illustrious husband. Yet nothing touches
so much the heart of the people OF
Paris as to be permitted to know those
who have already conquered by their
goodness. Thus Paris, by my voice
aoclaims you and lays at your feet
Madame, the homage of its gratitude
and its respect
Finally, speaking again to President
Wilson, NJ Mithouard said:
Called European.
"Mr. President, it is with deep emo-
tion that the capital welcomes today the
! first president of the United States
who has crossed the ocean and our
| city HAIL, lIt VI rItlltll HDtlNyi
will mark in its annals the day on
which it was permitted to receive the
eminent statesman of the union, the
citizen of the world-dare we say the
great European voice, heard
before the coming Of victory, called tC
life the oppressed among the nations
| During weary months our soldiers
/ have fought with stole resolution In
| defense of the soil Of their forbears
and the land of their children So vast
was the field Of battle, 50 great was
the issue at stake, so bitter and SC
hard was the struggle that only after
| the passage Of time did it seem pos
sible that the grandeur of their ac-
complishment could clearly show forth
| Yet your distance from the theater OF
war has allowed you to see, while yet
| they lived, the greatness OF the monu-
ment they were building.
From the other side of the world
you have spoken in advance of the
| judgment of history. What a source
of strength was it for these fighters
suddenly to hear your voice, in its
distant authority resembling the voice
Of posterity; what JOY to welcome
| those new brothers in arms Fastening
with ardof to claim at the critical hour
their place upon the field OF battle
what comfort for them to feel that they
were henceforth arrayed with the glor-
|