Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-30
TAFT APPROVES WI. SON
MISSION TO EUROPE
Former President Glad Executive
Has Gone 10 Confer on
Peace With Allies

Ncw York, Dec 50 EX-prcsident
! " ii am II Taft, IN lccturlng on "ClInGh-
ing Ouz Purpose IN the War at the
! BROOKLYN Academy of Music yesterday
| afternoon. declared that he approved
/ tho action oi President Wilson III going
| 70 Europe
President Wilson has gone abroad .
| said Mr. Taft. and | am glad he has.
/ l}y So DOING he IS coming INTO close rcla-
ticns with men Of other countries. Prcsi-
dent Wilson has more influence with the
| common people of Great Britain and
france than thor own princes. The rca-
| sons for has popularity are because al the
nrinciI,leS he has announced and the feel
ing that the United states stands back Of
! him
The lecture was delivered 10 $500
persons. who gave to the former ChIei
Executive cordial welcome lie was
presented BY Frank L. Babbott First
Vice President of the Brooklyn Institute
under whose auspices the address was
gwen.
WHY We HAD To FloHT GEFtMAN1.
we were shocked ~ The violation Of
Belgium. said Mr. TAFT, after hc had
explained his advocacy pT a League Of
Nations, but wc tricd 10 adhere IL the
principles la.d down by Washington and
.Icec,,on, lut finally die belligcrcnts
came 50 close 70 us on both SIDES that they
became dependent for food clothing
and o0uprueut We could not keep out
al The conflict
When tie German Navv was driven
from hc top of the -c, this country wls
abb - form market far the neut raj
nations 1t was thea hat Germany
realized that our relation with the Allies
was Y at would win The war for them.
She then started hc intensive submarine
warfare which exceeded the limits placed
/ by international llw.
In future wars there Will bc No place
Tor ncutrals There viii he no place for
neurrals that can form = market on Which
bcligcrents can depend,
Mr. Taft said Ire Mar IN Europe Was
not alone against tho spirit Of mlhtarl-m
out against tbe German people Is well,
and he only thing O do Was TO treat them
I'll q uannc- vhIch would cure ihcn
.Tlr great trouble with the German
pcopic lie continued is their heads.
ana the surgical instrument wc used Was
j blunt ono
FROTECTORsTE FCR COLONIES.
ln discussing the fourteen peace prin-
ciples 81 President Wilson. Mr. Taft talked
~lt1tk .it'1lik dih9le the QUESTION 81 tFtI-
many colonies. lie declared that Ger
many government oi them was * cruel
Is ITS conduct of tho war Bccausc of this
GERMANY had 10 equitable right Of owner
ship The disposition of me colonies,
Mr. Taft said would 10 a problem to settle
al the peace Table VIC could giyc them
~ England, but the Allies and the nited
states went INTO the war avowediv without
the desire for acquisition Of TERRITORY.
France only i irving 10 rescue her lost
lands ana tircat Britain and the United
states do nor wan: any more ground
In settiln% ihc question II may be the best
plan - place them under protectorate
of the tour nations making the peace
treaty
MIR Taft thcn took up the question of
Russia IT, speaking oi cond tions there
he SAID " hen Il comes 10 a one-man
despotisn or mob rule prefer the former"
The Bolshcyiki. according to Mr.. Taft
work on the theory that if a man raises
himself to prominence hc must be done
away with As . result, they have killed
ten tunes Is many persons a. were killed
during tic French Revolution Mr.
Taft stated that he agreed with Senator
Lodge when he asserted that Bolshevism
was Il poison.
There will probably bc a dozen states
created out Of the Central Empires.
continued the speaker These states
will most likely differ with those whose
tyranny has been resented. The purpose
of these states viii be 10 hem Germany IN.