Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-07-18

back, back. were never to thrust sue
cessfully forward again. And yet I
there was no confident hope.
Anxious men and women. leading
spirits Of France, attended the cele-
bration of the Fourth of July last year
in Paris out OF generous courtesy
with no heart for festivity, little zest
of hope. But they came away with
something new at their hearts: they
have themselves told us 50.
Tells Of Feeling Men Created.
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.
A great moral force had flung itself |
into the struggle. The fine physical
force of those spirited men spoke of |
something more than bodily vigor.
They carried the great ideals OF a
free people at their hearts and with
| that vision were unconquerable. Their
very presence brought reinsurance;
| their fighting made victory certain.
| They were recognized as crusaders,
! and as their thousands swelled to mil
lions their strength was seen to mean
. 10
carry such a hope and make good the
assurance 1t 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 a eulogy of the armies Amer
lea sent to France, but perhaps, since
am speaking OF their mission. I may
speak also OF the pride shared with
every American who saw or dealt with
them there. They were the sort of
men America would wish to he repre-
scented by. the sort OF men every Amer
lean would wish to claim as fellow
coumtrymen and comrades In a great
cause.
They were terrible in battle, and
|
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. am proud
to have had the privilege of being as
n ISOLATED with them and Of calling my.
4 self their leader.
u Duty 10 Quiet Fears Of World.
And the compulsion of what they
stood for was upon us who represent
= ed America at the peace table. 1t wal
" our duty to see to It that every. de
q cision we took part In contributed, 81
J. far as we were able to influence It, Il
quiet the fears and realize the hope
u of the peoples who had been living II
p that shadow, the nations that hat
N come by our assistance to their free
re dom. 1t was our duty to do every
thing that It was within our power /
OF do to make the triumph of II eedor
10 and of right a lasting triumph in tn
10 assurance OF which men might ever,
en- where live without fear.
is Old entanglements OF every kin
pt stood In the way-promises which go'
at ernments had made TO one another
~ the days when might and right wer
IL confused and the power of the victe
es was without restraint. Engagement
es which contemplated any disposition
ed of territory, any extensions of so
erelgnty that might seem to be to II
Die interest of those who had the pOw'
by to insist upon them had been entere
ed into without thought OF what the pc
nm aIexIs4 Hafa
lat by; and these could not always
honOrably brushed aside. 1t was n
easy to graft fhe new order OF idei
on the old and some of the fruits
'ar the grating may, I fear, for tin
ny be bitter.
on Thrust Upon Conference.
ere These were not tasks which Il
ne conference looked about to find nj
we went out of it's way TO perform. Tn
put were inseparabie from the settlernen
ey of peace. They were thrust upon
ry- by circumstances which could not
ov- overlooked. The war had Great
i'm them. In nil quarters Of the wor
ion old established relationships had be
her disturbed or broken and affairs we
erv at loose ends. needing 10 be mend
the or united again. but could not be ma
the what they were before. They had
mrs be set right by applying some unifol
AGO principle of justice or enlightened I
Ion pediency- And ihey eouiu no' DE
ton justed by merely prescribing In
.rtv treaty what should be done.
set. New states were to be set up Will
rod could not hope to live through tn
ons first period of weakness without
YES sured support by the great matte
her that had consented to their creati
and won for them their independent
nl-governed colonies could not be |
In the hands Of governments VIII
lied were to act as trustees for their p
II ple. and not as their masters. II tn
gan was to be no common authority amC