The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-06-04
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
COVENANT OF FAITH
Testifying That American Dead Did
Not Dit in Vain
SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT
Delivered at Decoration of American
Graves in Cemetery Near
Paris.

oufeneS, near farlS To-Day, during the
ceremony of paying tribute to the
American dead on the occasion of
Memorial Day, President Wilson made
his first reference to the league of
nations since the covenant of the So
ciety which will have as it's object the
prevention Of future wars was COM
pleted
His words were delivered in the
presence of thousands Of American
soldiers and many civilians and the
official representatives of the Fsench
Government including Marshal Foch
Numerous distinguished members of
Allied officialdom who had to come to
pay tribute to the American dead also
heard the Presidents words.
Touching on the reasons which had
brought the American troops across
seas, the President said they had
come to defeat the things for which
the Central Powers stood-"the ar
rogant, selfish domination which
they intended to establish; and they
never should be war like this
again."
Must Never Occur Again.
"lt is for us, particularly for us
who are civilized" the President con-
tlnued, ITO use our proper weapons
OF counsel and agreement to see to it
that there never is sucn a war again
The nation that should now fling out
OF this common concord of counsel
would betray the human race. So it
Is our duty to take and maintain the
safeguards which will see to it that
the mothers of America and the
mothers of France and England and
itai Y and Belgium and all other suf-
fering nations should never be called
upon for this sacrifice again. This
can be done. 1t must DE done. And
it will be done.
Their Sacrifice Not in Vain.
"The things that these men left
us, thought they did not in their
counscls conceive it, is the great in.
strument which we have Just erected
in the league Of nations The league
of nations is the covenant of govern
ment that these men shall not have
died In aVin. * / look forward
for the time when every man who
now puts his counsel against the
united service of mankind under the
league of nations will be lust as
ashamed of it as if he now regretted
the union Of the States"
No More Secret Councils.
The President declared that the day
of secret counsels was past. because
the people were in the saddle. The
private councils of statesman, he
added. would no longer determine the
destinies Of nations.
Bareheaded, in the glare of the sun,
president Wilson spoke for H'ore thar
half an hour most of the time in an
impassoned defense of the league Of
nations and in appeal for it's support.
(Iraat paporop,i N-.oNy
The cemetery is situated on the
hillside Of the ancient fortress of
Mount Valerien. With the old build
ings at his back the President looked
over the graves Of the american SOL
diers and down into the City of
Paris, which stood in the distance
like panorama. The approaches to
the cemetery and the paths winding
their way through the burial ground
were lined with soldiers standing al
attention, Americans on one side and
French on the other, as the President
arrived.
The greater part OF the khaki
clothed listeners to the Presidents
speech were grouped in the shade of
the old fort, but crowd of others
soldiers and civilians pressed close
to the speakers stand.
- NdTIHly HpplauQeu.
There was unwaevring attention by
all to the Presidents utterances and
when he concluded his auditors warm
ly applauded him. Capt. Andre Tar
dieu, French high commissioner, who
was in the stand with President Will
son. listened attentively to the speech.
The President never faltered in his ac-
ton. Earnestness peravded his words.
FROM nearby point, Mrs. Wilson
listened to her husband. She and the
President drove to the cemetery in
different automobiles and Mrs. Will
son remained in her car instead of
gong to the speakers stand.
Before President Wilson began his
speech a message to the President
from Premier Clemenceau dealing
with the fellowship between the
French and Americans was read.
The letter begins:
Clemenceau's Letter.
"Faithful to noble tradition, the liv-
I ing army renders homage to the
dead army and all France has asso-
ciated itself with this homage"
After comparing the Americans
who have fallen in France with the
French who fell in America, M. Glenn
enceau continues:
FRANCE Will ever cherish their
| memories. With America, France will
preserve in space as an inspiration
and example an underlying remem-
brance Of their enthusiasm, discipline
| and courage. We see the wreaths
on their tombs, and will take care
Of them as piously and grantefully
as the tombs Of our own soldiers"
| With the playing of "The Star
| Spangled Banner" and "The Marseil-
laise" by the band and the sounding
| OF "Taps" by the bupIc the official