The sun., 1919-09-06

not have been better occasion for test
ing public sentiment The weather re-
buked those evilly disposed and envi,us
Chicagoans and Kansas Cityites who
maintain that st. Louis up to December.
Is an annex OF Sheoi, for the sky was
blue. breeses tempered the moderate heat
and there was lively quality in the
cir one breathed.
Only the Children Cheer.
Here, too. was the opportunity in most
definite form to reveal what the people.
with capital p, really thought Well,
the only thing that was demonstrated
was the fact that Americans are always
keer to get look at their President,
for Mr.. Wilson's welcome was nine
tenths quantity and about one-tenth
quality, SO far as demonstrativeness,
warmth and the wild hurrah stun was
concerned. There was no yell in It, no
PEP
In long parade from the Union sta
tion through the principal streets of
the city to the Statler Hotel the
Presidential motor car and its string
of other cars rolled between walls of
people and one listened in vain for
cheer ng. Occasionally in front Of public
schools the cars passed groups of
children marshalled by their teachers
who did their little treble best and
waved their little flags as they had been
taught to do properly. Here and there
groups OF women released futteriny
cheers and gave the Chautauqua salute
which one fancied had been rather sacred
to Mr.. Bryan. these incidents recalling
the frequently heard superstition that
Mr.. Wilson lis still strong with the
women" But connecting these gently
cheering groups of the immature were
long, long links of silent men-men
turned out from throbbing factories or
humming shops; men that stood
and stared as they would have
stared, no doubt, at any unusual
spectacle.
the people either by their own vigorous
personality or by means Of some cause
the people are interested In there occur
what newspaper reporters call Incl
dents"-little. unexpected happen 'ngs
which give flavor to the tale of larger
episodes. To-day there were no Ouch
incidents. There have not been for two
days. save for Chinese heckler in the
gallery at Columbus.
Speeches DO Not Penetrate.
The story OF the trip has been a dead
level o: professions through fairly large.
completely tonguetied crowds and OF
fawlessly dictioneG addresses which
seemed to reach no deeper than the ear
drums OF the hearers. II makes one
wonder and inquire about what the
people in this section Of the country
are thinking about, for they are not
sitting up Of nights thinking about the
League OF Fine Passions nor are they
worrying about the heart OF the world.
Mr.. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson and the party
of attaches and correspondents were en-
quilted temporarily in the lobby of the
Statler. and by the time somessort OF
acknowledgement had been reafhed IL
was time for the luncheon arranged by
the Chamber OF Commerce. Extreme
pains had been taken to divest this
luncheon of any semblance Of partisan
ship. II was interesting to note that
the three persons directing the affair
are Republicans-Frederi d. Gardner,
Governor OF the State: Henry w. KEEL.
Mayor OF the city. and Jackson johnson,
president Of the Chamber Of Commerce
Moreover. probably the greater number
Of persons In the 1900 attending tho
luncheon were Republicans. since St
Louis is now a Republican city.
At the outset. the Mayor said that
politics had been suspended for the day.
and Mayor, Governor and chamber pres
ident Joined in the cheer when an en-
thusiast shouted: Three cheers for the
tenefactor OF the world" Those observ-
ing Mr.. Wilson at that moment observed
the proud flash of his eye and the tens,
ing of his lips And as he stood to re-
spond to the introduction the President,
attractive picture.
Defines n Nationalist.
At the beginning he stated his tn
ability to understand men who drew a
distinction between nationalism and in
ternationalism, adding that the greatest
nationalist Is the man who wants his
nation to be the greatest nation, and
the greatest nation !s the nation which
"penetrates TO the heart Of it's duty and
mission among the great nations of the
world" He had come from Washington
to discuss treaty matters, he said. be-
cause in Washington the whole subject
is surrounded with a mist which II is
dificult to, penetrate" He complained
that this mist had led the people to be-
lieye there were only three or four
clauses In the great human document
I have brought home from Paris"
"You fancy" he said, that It has a
certain Article X. In II. that It has
something about Shantung (and the
President gave the pronunciation
'Shawn-toongD that it has something
about the Monroe Doctrine In 1t. and
that it has something about quitting,
Withdrawing from the league, showing
that you do not want to play the game.
Why, these are mere details and In
cidents OF great human enterprise"
He discussed for some minutes the
structure Of "the whole had business
existing before the war-French terror
of Germany. intrigue centreing at Con-
stantinople, the exploiting of weak ma
lions for the benefit OF the strong, and
then said that the Peace Conference met
to put an end to all that bad business
and so wrote a document which sis the
chart and constitution Of a new system
for the world" with the central object
of establishing the independence and
protecting the integrity Of the weak peo-
Pile of the world.
"our Business to Prevent War;"
Then came the Contemplate quit
ters," for the President added: IT hear
some gentlemen who are themselves in
capable of altruistic purposes say, All,
but that is altruIstic! It Is not our
business to take care of the weak ma
tions Of the world No. but Il is our
business to prevent war. and II we do
not take care OF the weak nations of the
world there will DO war. These gentle
men assume the role OF being very prac-
teal men (this was delivered with scorn-
tui vo!cel srd they say, We DO no.
want TO get into war TO protect every
little nation In the world
Every we'll, then, let them show me
M xril Attfn ~