The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-12-20
TRIBUTE TO WILSON ALSO A
TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN PEOPLE
David Lawrence Analyses Effect of
Tremendous Ovation in France,
the Greatest Ever Given
President.


chivalrous welcome here as symbols
of royalty or of heredity or might,
but to the president of, the United
States and the representative of a
sister republic France has rendered
a tribute so spontaneous that it can
only be interpreted as an exhibition
of the everlasting affection of this
people for the American people.
President Wilson and his aides
have made lasting impression, but
he streets of Paris have been lined
with cheering millions not merely to
applaud the axalted principles Of a
great statesman but to emphasize
the gratitude that France feels for
the compliment paid by America in
sending President Wilson three thou
sand miles to pay his unprecedented
visit.
This is a land of courtesy and po-
.iteness and America gave fitting
.limax to the achievement of her
millions of troops by sending the
commander-in-chief of her army and
navy, the spokesman of democratic
people to ride side by side with the
resident of France triumphantly
through the main thoroughfares Of
the city. No treaty of alliance, no
convention can ever bind closer in
the bonds of friendship and kinship
than has the present occasion. Could
Washington and Lafayette have seen
it they would have thrilled with
pride for the fulfllment of the
ideas they struggled to implant.
Could Napoleon or the Kaiser Will
liam have watched the joyous faces
of the multitude they would have
recognized that as much honor can
come to man who seeks that demo-
cratic ideals shall conquer the
world for the benefit of all the peo-
pie as to one who aims at the i'm
position through military might of
the benefit of the few. Could the
whole American people have gazed
upon the countenance of this happy
nation they would be proud of the
place the United States has always
occupied and of it's traditional devo-
tion to the principles of human free
dom.
From an atmosphere of entreating
statesmen and politicians, President
Wilson's visit transforms the stu
alton into one in which popular par
ticipation cannot be ignored as the
peace conference begins. The power
of America and of her president in
the world lies in the business Of
their ideals and principles. Mr.. Will
sons presence here is a reminder
that in the hour of triumph the vic
tors must not forget the unselfsh-
ness that they earlier professed.
The president is soon to see the
battlefelds of devastated France,
the scene of the bfoodshed and the
great sacrifices of France, Great
Britain and her allies. Some be-
lieve that this will impress him
with the need of extracting a great
indemnity and of holding more terri
tory. The program of sightseeing
has purposely been planned to give
President Wilson an impression
first of all of what the war has
meant to the defending people, but
while this undoubtedly will lead him
to insist upon a stern punishment
for the German individuals respon-
'ible for the greatest outrage in his
tory, it will also strengthen his con-
.viction that human life must be never
so spent again and that a war of this
magnitude must never happen in the
future. 1t can be stated positively
that President Wilson's demand that
the formation of a league of nations
be agreed upon first as the best pre-
ventative of another war. This was
accepted in principles early in the
conflict, and can be developed now
Pr$iasns Wilson will, undoubtedly
contend for this suavely but forceful-
ly and fairly, and shisspower oyer the
public opinion, of Europe is so great
that he need only make appeal