The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-12-14
WILSON T0ASTS FRENCH.
REPUBLIC; PROUD OF ARMY
At Dinner Given By Poincares, President Says
United States Aimed at More Than Mere
Winning of War-French Executive
Makes Reply.

mo sooner had they landed than
your gallant battallons. fired by their
chief. Gen. Pershing. flung thera-
selves into the combat with such =
manly contempt for danger, such =
smiling disregard Of death. that our
longer experience Of this terrible war
often moved us to counsel prudence.
"They brought with them. IN ar
riving here. the enthusiasm OF cru
1aders leaving for the holy land. II
is their right today to look with
pride upon the work accomplishing
and to tell themselves that they have
powerfully aided by their courage
and their faith.
Eager to Meet Enemy.
Eager as they were to meet the
enemy, they did not know when they
arrived, the enorrhity Of his crimes.
That they might know how the Ger
man armies make war. 1t has boen
necessary that they see towns syB-
tematically burned down, mines
flooded, factories reduced to ashes. orr \
chards devastated, cathedrals shelle6
and fired---all that deliberate savags
cry aimed to destroy national wealth
nature and beauty. which the iuag1-
nation could not conceive at az.
tance from the men and things tho&
have endured 1t and today bear Wit
ness to IL. w
Mr.. President. you will BE- ab,e ~
measure with your eyes. the sxtene'
of these disasters and the French 9uvs
ernment will communicate to you IT,
authentic documents In which the 0of>
man official staff developed, with ae-3
founded cynicism program Of pllsl
lage ana industrial annihilation. Your
| noble conscience Will pronounce .
verdict on these facts. tt
Should this guilt remain unpunisn@
ed. could IT be. the most splendid vta-
tories would De IN vain. Mr.. Preside1s
France has struggled, has endured ap0'
has suffered. during four long years;
she has bled at every vein; she has
lost the best OF her children; ahe
mourns for her youth. She yearns now
even as you do, for peace OF Jus.
tice and sincerity. 1t was not that
she might be exposed once against me,
aggression that she submitted to such
sacrihces, nor was 1t In order Mek
crimipais should 20 unpuEished
they might lit their. h4sW agetA ~
! makeI ready for. new criItoe, fh4k0
DER your strong leadershlp Au44
armed herself ana crossed the oee44
Faithiul 10 tine memory OF LaIayqkeyi
ana Rochampeau. sne came 20 ~
aid OF France because France her9e4s
was faithful to her traditions. OUf
common ideai mas triumpheo. NQ
we must build together such peace -
| viii forbid the deliberate ana hype-'
| critical renewing OF an organism e1ne7
| ing at conquest ana oppression. z
Peace must make AMENDS Tor -
misery ana the sadness OF yestoro9Ns'
ana IL must De guarantee aga
| the dangers or tomorrow. The a910-9
| citation which has been formed TOR m
| purpose OF war between the UnleeQ'
states and the allies. and which Co.,
tains the seed OF the permanent insQs'
tutions on whicn you nave spoken -
eloquentiy. VIII furnish us, from Mle
day Forward, clear ana prontabie e.
ployment In the concerted search fpr
! equitable decisions. and IN the mutual
support which we need II We are -
make our rights prevail.
| Whatever safeguards we may erect