The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-11
Former Premier Asquith Paints
Glowing Picture of Wilson.
"HaS Taken the Greatest Deci-
sion of Our Age"
LEADER LEAGUE OF NATIONS
President Keeps Steady Hand
and Clean Tongue.
Address Was Made at Dinner
Given for Americans.

London, July 11.-Sincere praise of
President Wilson's leadership in the
war and his advocacy of league of
nations after the war was given by
Herbert H Asquith, the former pre-
mier in an address last night at the
National Liberal club. The occasion
was hospitality dinner to American
officers at which 500 prominent Eng
lishmen were hosts. The dinner re-
ton for the president Vice Admiral
Sims, commander of the American
naval forces in the war zone, paid
tribute to the cooperation of the Brit
ii and American navies and declared:
Submarine Menace Ended.
1.-The submarine menace is now at
an end, for we are destroying them
faster than the. Germans can build
them"
Major General Biddle, commander
of the American forces in England,
evoked long cheers when he an
nounced that American troops were
stationed at from 20 to 80 different
points in England and Scotland.
League of Nations Most Urgent.
Former Premier Asquith urged the
Importance of President Wilson's idea
of a league of nations as the most
urgent of all peace problems.
1.-The United States as a nation has
had the very good fortune that in the
supreme crises of her national history
the men whom she most needed for
Inspiration and guidance have always
appeared. Thus came Washington and
Lincoln. Washington and Lincoln are
illustrious names which have passed
into history. We must not attempt to
anticipate history's judgment upon
men still living, but 1 will venture to
say that President Wilson has been
the head of American government in
times no less trying than any in its
annals.
president Wilson has taken the
greatest decision of our age and he has
carried his people with him in it.
Moreover, he has laid before the world
the grounds for his decision, the rea-
sons which justified and compelled it
and the spirit in which it was adopted.
He has done this in state papers
which are worthy to live side by side
with the most inspiring utterances OF
his most famous predecessors.
TT is one thing to embrace a good
cause. It is another to push it to a
victorious issue. If a nation is TO hold
it's own on the battle field these days,
it must be equipped on the sea and
land with the strongest battalions. the
best and. fastest ships, adequate or
ganization of transport and supply and
even with a superiority in all the man
fold mechanical devices for agrees
sion and defense which the hellish in
genuity of modern warfare has de
vised.
Difficulties Stimulate America.
America has had her difficulties.
They have not stIfled but have Stimu-
lated her energy and we grasp the
opportunity of acknowledging our I'M
bounded admiration of the ma gnifi-
cent contribution America has made.
is making and will continue to make
in eVer-increasing measures Here
again we gratefully trace the guiding
hand and driving will of the president
Probably the world owes its great
est debt to President Wilson for help
ing men whose vision has been blurred
and blinded by the smoke of the bat
tlefield to lift up their eyes and to
look thru i and beyond it. 1t is very
difficult in time of war to keep a
steady hand and a cream tongue. Presi-
dent Wilson does both.
States War Aims Best
We can not ask ourselves too Of
ten what We are fighting for. Presi-
dent Wilson has done more than any
other statesman to concentrate the
minds of his own people, of the allied
and even of enemy peoples upon a
league of nations as our dominating
world aim.
There can be no clean peace which
does not clear away the causes of war
1t seems Co me all important that both
here and in America we should realize
and act as tho we realized it. A league
of nations is neither a vague political
abstraction nor an empty rhetorical
formula but a concrete and n definite
ideal"