The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-12-30
NO BAL LANCE OF POWER
DECLARES OUR PRESIDENT
the service of right.
Establish New Order

now; not only to make the just settle
ments-that of cOurse-but to see that
the settlements remained and were OBJ
served and that honor and justice pre-
walls in thu world.
"And as have conversed with the
soldiers l nave been more and more
aware that they fought for something
that not Ell of them had Defined but
which all of them recognized the mo-
ment you stated it to them.
"They fought to do away with an
and the center and characteristic of
the old order was that unstable thing
which we used to call the balance of
power a thing in which the balance
was determined by the sword which
was thrown in on the one side or the
other, a balance which was determined
by the unstable equilibrium of COM
petitive interests, Il balance which was
maintained by jealous watchfulness
and an antagonism of interests which,
though it was generally latent, was al
ways deep seated.
British Leaders Agree.
"The men who have fought in this
war have been the men from the free
nations who are determined that that
sort of thing should end now and for
ever. 1t is very interesting to me to
observe how from every quarter. from
every sort of mind from every con-
cert of counsel there comes the Sug
gestion that there must now be not a
balance of power. not one powerful
group of nations set up against an
other, but single. overwhelming. pow
erful group of nations who shall be
the trust of the peace of the world.
at has been delightful in my con-
ferences with the leaders of your gov
ernment to find how our minds moved
along exactly the same line and how
our thought was always that the key
to the peace was the guarantee of the
peace, not the items of it; that the
items would be worthless unless there
stood back of them a permanent con-
cert of power for their maintenance.
That is the most reassuring thing that
has ever happened in the world.
Plan Now Practical.
"When this war began the thought
of league of nations was indulgently
considered as the interesting thought
Of closeted students. 1t was thought
right to characterize by name which.
as university man, have always re-
sented. 1t was said to be academic as
If that in itself were a condemnation
something that men could think
about but never get.
"Now we find the practical leading
minds of the world determined to
get it.
"No such sudden and potent union
of purpose has ever been witnessed in
the world before. Do you wonder,
therefore, gentlemen, that in common
with those who represent you l am
eager to get at the business and write
the sentences down? And that I am
particularly happy that the ground is
cleared and the foundation laid-for
we have already accepted the same
body Of principles. Those principles
are clearly and definitely enough
stated to make their application a
matter which should afford no funda-
mental difficulty.
Silence All Threats.
"And back of US is that imperative
yearning of the world to have all dis
turbing questions quieted, to have all
threats against peace silenced, to
have just men everywhere come togeth-
er for a common object.
'The peoples OF the world want
peace and they want it now, not mere
ly by conquest of arms but by agree
ment Of mind.
''It was this incomparably great OBJ
ject that brought me overseas.
"It has never before been deemed
| eXcuSable for president of the
| United States to leave the territory
of the Uniter States, but | know that
1 have the support of the judgment
of my colleagues in the government
of the United States in saying that ii
! was my paramount duty to turn away
even from the imperative tasks al
| home to lend such counsel and aid as
1 could to this great. may 1 not say
final, enterprise of humanity"
| Breaking of Precedent.
In his speech at the lord mayors
luncheon at Mansion house, President
! Wilson said:
MY Lord Mayor. your royal high
ness, your grace, ladies and gentle
men. You have again made me feel
sir, the very wonderful and generous
welcome Of this great city and yor
have reminded me of what has per
haps become one of the habits of my
| life.
"You have said that I have broker
| all precedence ip coming across the
ocean to join in the counsels of the
peace conference, but | think those
who have been associated with me il
Washington will testify that that il.
nothing surprising. l said to thu
| members of the press in Washington
one evening that one of the thing.
that had interested me most since
lived in Washington was that ever,
time / did anything perfectly natura
1t was said to be unprecedented.
"It was perfectly natural to breal
this precedent, natural because tn
demand for Intimate conferenoo fool