The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1919-03-15
WILL FIGHT FOR
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
PRESIDENT WILSON SAYS HE
WILL WORK WITH RENEWED
vIGOR FOR CREATION OF
LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
NOT TO RETURN TILL OVER
Will Tell Europe That Overwhelming
Majority of America Favors Plan.
Declares Opposition in Senate
Based on Seifishness.


the American people in an address
Tuesday on the eve of his return to
Paris that he was going back to the
peace conference to battle with renew.
ed vigor for the creation of a league
of nations.
1.-THE first thing l am going to tell
the people on the other side of the
water is that an overwhelming ma
jority of the American people is in
favor of the league of nations" said
the president.
Speaking after former President
Taft had expounded the main features
of the proposed covenant of nations,
| Mr.. Wilson told the vast audience
| which filled the Metropolitan Opera
House his opinions of opponents of the
league plan in America.
mo party has the right to appro-
pirate this issue, and no party will in
the long run dare oppose it," he as
serted.
Asserting that the league of nations
Is meant as notice to all outlaw ma
tions that the great peoples of the
world will no longer tolerate interna-
tional crimes" the president said that
Europe Is bit sick at heart at this
very moment, because it is seen that
statesmen have no vision and that
the only vision has been the vision of
the people"
And l am amazed-tot alarmed,
but amazed-that there should be in
some quarters such comprehensive
ignorance of the state of the world"
continued Mr.. Wilson. These gentle
men do not know what the mind of
men is just now. Everybody else does.
81 do not know where they have
been closeted; I do not know by what
influences they have been blinded;
but / do know they have been sep
arated from the general currents Of
the thought of mankind.
And l want to utter this solemn |
warning, not in the way of a threat:
The forces Of the world do not threat |
en-, they operate. The great tides of |
the world do not give notice that they
are going to rise and run; they rise
in their majesty and overwhelming
might, and those who stand in the
way are overwhelmed. Now the heart
Of the world is awake and the heart
Of the world must be satisfied"
Americas soldiers, he said, went
feeling they were sacredly
bound to the realization of those ideals
which their president had enunciated
when the United States went into the
var.
There is another thing" the presi-
lent said, which critics of the league
lad not observed.
They not only have not observed
he temper of the world, but they have
lot even observed the temper of those
plendh boys in khaki that they sent
cross the seas" he asserted.
And do you suppose" continued the
resident, that having felt that cru
aiding spirit of these youngsters, who
vent over there not to glorify Amer
"a, but to serve their fellowmen. I
m going to permit myself for one mo-
lent to slacken in my effort to be
Forthy OF them, and of their cause?
do mean to not come back until it's
yer, over there and it must not be
yer until the nations of the world are
ssured of the permanency of peace"
Opponents of the league in this
ountry do not comprehend the tenn
Or and desire of European statesmen,
lid the president, who added that
here is not one of them with whom
have come in contact who does not
el that he can not in conscience re-
I'm to his people from Paris unless
has done his utmost to do some
ing more than attach his name to
treaty of peace"
A league of nations covenant is in
spensable to the treaty Of peace,
the war rs to accomplish the de-
ared purpose of this nation and the
,rld, former President William
oward Taft told the audience at the
etropolitan Opera House Tuesday
Adherence to the Washingtonian
icy OF avoiding foreign alliances
uld not be applied to the present
Sensational status, Mr. Taft declared,
ecause the interests of the United,
ates are inevitably involved In the
of European peace" For
United States to withdraw from
project he asserted, would make
league of nations merely "a return
the system of alliances and tho shol |
se OF power with speedy recur.
ice of war, in which this country
uld certainly be involved as it was
the present struggle"