The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-12
S is NOT OUR GOD
Wilson Says Something Deeper
Dominates American Ideals.
War, He Says, Has Showed U.
s. in Her True Light.
GAVE BLOOD TO SAVE LIBERTY
Two Million Sons Bore the
Message.
President Calls For Democracy
at Helm of States.
GAVE BLOOD TO SAVE LIBERTY

Paris, May 10 Saturday .-Presi-
dent Wilson, in his address today to
the French Academy of Moral and
Political Sciences. entered a strong
disclaimer of the idea that the Ameri-
can people were largely materialists or
dollar worshippers.
81 have had in recent months one
very deep sense of privilege" the pres
ident said. IT have been keenly aware
that there have been times when the
peoples of Europe have not under
stood the people of the United States.
we have been too often supposed to
have been devoted chiefly if not en-
tirely to material enterprises We
have been supposed. in the common
phrase, to worship the almighty dol
lar.
Above Desire for Wealth.
1--WE have accumulated wealth, sir,
we have devoted ourselves to material
enterprises with extraordinary sue
cess, but there has underlain all OF
| that. all the time, common sense OF
Lhuma nifty and a common sympathy
with the high principles of justice
which has never grown dim in the
| field even of enterprise and it has been
my very great joy, in these recent
| months to interpret the people of the
United States to the people OF the
/ world.
Il have not done more, sir. I have
| not uttered in my public capacity my
own private thoughts. 1 have uttered
| what 1 have known to be the thoughts
| of the great people whom 1 repre-
! sent"
VIII Not See Liberty Crushed.
! It was at this point that the presi-
dent made his declaration that the
American people who came into the
| world consecrated to liberty were
| ready to cast in their lot in common
| with the lot OF those whose liberty is
threatened whenever the cause of lib
erty was seen to be imperilled.
This is the spirit of the people of
the United States" he continued,
and they have been privileged to
send two million men over here to
tell YOU so. 1t has been the great
| privilege not merely to tell you so in
words but to tell you so in men and
/ material-the pouring out OF theiI
wealth and the offering of their
blood
He continued:
Raps German Thought.
"a great many of my colleagues ir
American university life got theil
training, even in political science, a:
so many men in civil circles did. il
| German universities l have been
| obliged at various times to read a grea1
deal of Badgerman, difficult German
| n L
| aware that the thought was as Hawk
ward as the phrase. that the though
was rooted in a fundamental miscon
| ception of the state and of the politt
, cal life of peoples. And it has beer
a portion of my effort to disengag
the thought of American universit.
teachers fl ON the misguided instruc
ton which they had received on thi
side of the sea. They speak too Otter
of state as thing which would ig
more the individual, as a thing which
) was privileged to dominate the for
tune of men by sort of inherent ant
sacred authority.
''Now as an utter democrat, 1 hav
3 never been able to accept that view o
' the state. My view of the state is tina
r it must stop and listen to what 1 hav
e to say, no matter how humble L an
: and that each man has the right t
:. have his voice heard and his counse
, needed, insofar as it is worthy of hin
!, For Freedom of Speech.
: 81 have always been among thos
= iywho believe the greatest freedom o
speech was the greatest safety, becaus
if a man is a fool the best thing t
, do is to encourage hin to advertise tn
fact by speaking.
/ For, it is by exposure of folly tina
it is defeated. not by the secluson c
8 folly, and in this free exercise of fire
speech men get into that sort of com
munication with one another whic
constitutes the basis of all commo
" nv