The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-12-20

TO make our rights prevail.
Whatever safeguards we ma
erect for the future no one, alas, cal
assert that we shall forever spare t,
mankind the horrors of new wars
Five years ago the progress of scienc,
and the state of civilization Nigh
have permitted the hope that no gov
eminent, however autocratic, woul,
have succeeded in hurting armed ma
tons upon Belgium and Siberia.
without lending ourselves to tn,
illusion that posterity will be forever
more safe from these collective fol
lies, We must introduce into the peace
we are going to build up all the con
ditions of justice and all the safe
guards of civilization that we can pu
in it.
"To such a vast and magnificent
task, Mr.. President, you have chosen
to come and apply yourself in con
cert with France.
"France offers you her thanks. She
knows the friendship of America
She knows your rectitude and eleva,
ton of spirit. 1t is in the fullest con,
fidence that she is ready to work with
you.
~ lift my glass, Mr.. President, in
your honor and in honor of Mrs. Will
son. ! drink to the prosperity of the
republic of the United States, our
great friend of yesterday and of other
days, of tomorrow and of all time"
President Wilson'S Reply
President Wilson, in replying to
President Poincare, said:
"Mr. President: | am deeply in
debted to you for your gracious greet
ing. 1t is very delightful to find my
self in France and to feel the quick
sympathy and unaffected friendship
between the representatives. of the
United States and the representatives
of France.
"You have been very generous in
what you were pleased to say about
myself, but | feel that what / have
said and what | have tried to do as
has been said and done only in an at
tempt to speak the thought of the
people of the United States truly and
to carry that thought out in action.
"F'rom the first the thought of the
ward something more than the mere
winning of this war. 1t turned to the
establishment of eternal principles of
right and justice. 1t realized that
merely to win the war was not
enough; that it must be won in such
a way and the questions raised by it
settled in such way as to insure
the future peace Of the world and lay
the foundations for the freedom and
happiness of its many peoples and ma
tions.
"Never before has war worn so ter
rible a visage or exhibited more
grossly the dcbasing 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 in
dignation that they stir in the hearts
of the men Of France and Belgium,
and / appreciate, as you do, sir, the
necessity of such action in the final
settlement of the issue of the war as
will not only rebuke such acts of ter
ror and spoilation, but make men ev-
erywhere aware that they cannot be
ventured upon without the certainty
of just punishment.
81 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 believe
their ideals to be acceptable to free
peoples everywhere and are rejoiced
to have played the part they have
played in giving reality to those ideals
in cooperation with the armies of the
Allies.
eve are proud of the part they
have played and we are happy that
they should have been associated with
such comrades in a common cause.
at is with peculiar feeling, Mr..
President, that | find myself in
France, joining with you in rejoicing
over the victory that has been won.
The ties that bind France and the
United States are peculiarly close.
81 do not know in what other COM
we could have fought with
more zest or enthusiasm. 1t will daily
be matter of pleasure with me to
be brought into consultation with the
statesmen of France and her allies in
the measure by which we
may secure permanence for these
happy relations of friendship and CO.
operation, and secure for the world at
large such safety and freedom in it's
life as can be secured only by the
constant association and cooperation
of friends.
81 greet you, not only with deep
respect, but as the represen-
tative of the great people of France,
and beg to bring you the greetings
of another great people to whom the
fortunes of France are of profound
and lasting interest.
81 raise my glass to the health of
the President of the French republic
and to Nine. Poincarn and the pros
perity of France"
WEEKLY NEWS NOTES