New-York tribune., 1919-07-09
President Tells Audience
in Carnegie Hall That
Critics of Treaty Can't
Understand the Vision
Glad To Be Back;
Lonesome Abroad
Proud of Affection Won
by American Soldiers
and of New Prestige
of u. S. in Europe

President wilson, on his arrival
- this city yesterday, delivered a
homecoming address to capacity
yudience at Carnegie Hail. The dd-
dress. in full, folloacs:
"Fellow Countrymen:
II am not going to try this af-
ternoon to make you a real speech.
I am alarmed to find how many
speeches | have in my system un-
delivered, but they are all speeches
that come from the mind and |
war.. to say to you this afternoon
only a few words from the heart.
You have made me deeply happy
by the generous welcome. you have
extended to me, but | do not be-
lieve that the welcome you extend
to me is half as great as that
which | extend to you.
"Why, Jerseyman though / am,
this is the first time ever thought
Hoboken was beautiful! ! have,
really, though have tried on the
oths- side of the water to con-
ceal it, been the most homesick
man in the American Expedition
airy Force, and it is with feelings
that it would be vain for me to try
to express that ! find myself in
this beloved country again.
II do not say that because /
lack in admiration Of other coun-
tries. There have been many
things that softened my home
sickness. One of the chief things
that softened it was the very gen.
erous welcome they extended to
me as your representative on the
other side of the water, and it was
still more softened by the pride
that I had in discovering that
America had at last convinced the
world Of her true character.
Americas Sincerity Recognized
~ was welcome because they
had seen with their own eyes what
America had done for the world.
They had deemed her selfish; they
had deemed her devoted to ma
terial interests, and they had seen
her boys come across the water
with a vision even more beautiful
than that which they conceived
when they had entertained dreams
of liberty and Of peace.
"And then I had the added
pride of finding out by personal
observation the kind Of men we
had sent over. had crossed the
seas with the kind Of men who
had taken them over, without
whom they could not have got to
Europe, and then when / got
there ! saw that army of men.
that army of clean men, that
army of men devoted to the high
interests of humanity. that army
that one was glad TO point out
and say, These. are my fellow
countrymen.
at softens the homesickness
good deal to have so much Of
home along with you, and these
boys were constantly reminding
me Of home. They did not walk
the streets like anybody else. /
do not mean that they walked the
streets self-assertively; they did
not. They walked the streets as
If they knew that they belonged
wherever free men lived, that
they were welcome in the great
republic of France and were COM
rades with the other armies
that had helped to win the great
battle and to show the great sac
rifce.
Won Universal Affection
1T is a wonderful thing for
this nation, hitherto isolated from
the large affairs of the world, to
win not only the universal con-
fdence Of the people Of the world,
but their universal affection. And
that, and nothing less than that,
is what has happened. Wherever
it was suggested that troops
should be sent-and it -waa do