Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-07-18

lie what it was that our timely aid
accomplished alike for their morale
and their physical safety.
The first, ver-to-be-forgotten ac-
tion at Chateau Thierry had already
taken place. Our redoubtable soldiers
and marines had already closed the
gap the enemy had succeeded in open
ing for their advance upon Paris-had
already turned the tide of battle back
toward the frontiers of France and
begun the rout that was to save Eu-
rope and the world. Thereafter the
Germans were to be always forced
back, back, were never to thrust sue
cessfully forward again. And yet
there was no confident hope.
Put New Heart Into Allies.
The mere sight of our men-of their
vigor, of the confidence that showed
itself in every movement of their stall
wart figures and every turn of their
swinging march, in their steady COM
pretending eyes and easy discipline,
in the indomitable air that added
spirit to everything they did-made
everyone who saw them that memo
rable day realize that something had
happened that was much more than
mere incident in the fighting, some
thing very different from the mere ar
rival of fresh troops.
They were recognized as crusaders,
and as their thousands swelled to mil
lions their strength was seen to mean
salvation. And they were fit men to
carry such hope and make good the
assurance it forecast. Finer men never
went into battle; and their officers
were worthy of them.
Comrades In Great Cause.
This is not the occasion upon which
to utter eulogy of the armies Amer
lea sent to France, but perhaps, since
am speaking of their mission, I may
speak also Of the pride I shared with
every American who saw or dealt with
them there. They were the sort Of
men America would wish to be repre-
sented by, the sort of men every Amer
lean would wish to claim as fellow
countrymen and comrades in a great
cause.
They were terrible in battle, and
gentle and helpful out of it, remember
ing the mothers and the sisters, the
wives and the little children at home.
They were free men under arms, not
forgetting their ideals of duty in the
midst of tasks of violence 1 am proud
to have had the privilege of being as
sociated with them and of calling my
self their leader.
Hard Task at Peace Table.
And the compulsion of what they
stood for was upon US who represent.
| ed America at the peace table. 1t was
| our duty to see to it that every de-
cision we took part in contributed, sc
| far as we were able to influence it, to
| quiet the fears and realize the hopes
| of the peoples who had been living in
| that shadow. the nations that had
come by our assistance to their free
dom. 1t was our duty to do every
thing that it was within our power tt
do to make the triumph of freedom
and of right lasting triumph in the
assurance of which men might every
where live without fear.
Difficulties Hard to Adjust.
These were not tasks which tht
| e. - g. i
went out of its way to perform. The!
were inseparable from the settlement
of peace They were thrust upon i
by circumstances which could not b,
overlooked. The war had created
them. In all quarters of the worlC
old established relationships had beel
disturbed or broken and affairs wer,
at loose ends, needing to be mende'
or united again, but could not be mad
what they were before. They had t
be set right by applying some uniform
principle of justice or enlightened ez
pediency. And they could not be ad
justed by merely prescribing in
treaty what should be done.
New states were to be set up whic
could not hope to live through thei
first period of weakness without as
sured support by the great nation
that had consented to their creatio
and won for them their independence,
Future international convention
with regard to the control of watel
ways, with regard to Illicit traffic c
many kinds, in arms or in deadl
drugs, or with regard to the adjus
ment Of many varying internations
administrative arrangements coul
not be assured if the treaty were
provide no permanent common inte
national agency, if its execution
such matters was to be left to tn
slow and uncertain processes of G.
operation by ordinary methods Of n,
gotiation.
Common Tribunal Necessary.
If the peace conference itself WE
to be the end of cooperative authorit
and common counsel among the go
ernments to which the world was loo
ing to enforce justice and give pledgt
of an enduring settlement, regio1
! like the Saar basin could not be p1
4 under a temporary administrative r
l gime which did not involve a transit
: of political sovereignty and whi(
/ contemplated a final determination
it's political connections by popul
I vote to be taken at a distant dat,
j no free city like Danzig could be or
] ated which was under elaborate inte
t national guarantees to accept exec
: tional obligations with regard to Il
inces, and Roumania was practical
nr.irnrnlod h1r Roln KI1rn,c raf11Snl To rnc