The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-01-31
WILSON'S ADDRESS
BEFORE PEACE FARLEY

| BEFOhE IEASE fAhLEI
| Paris, Jan. 26.-Following is Pres
ident Wilson's address before the
Peace Conference Saturday:
| Mr.. Chairman: / consider it a dis
tinguished privilege to be permitted
to open the discussion in this confer
ence on the Leage of Nations. We
have assembled for two purposes-to
make the present settlements which
have been rendered necessary by this
war and also to secure the peace Of
the world, not only by the present set
Elements, but by the arrangements we
shall make at this conference for its
maintenance.
The League of Nations seems to me
| to be necessary for both of these pur-
poses. There are many complicated
questions connected with the present
settlements which perhaps cannot be
successfully worked out TO an ulti
mate issue by the decisions we shall
arrive at here. | can easily conceive
that many of these settlements will
need substantial consideration, that
many of the decisions we make shall
need subsequent alteration in some
degree, for if may judge by my own
study of some of these questions, they
are not susceptible for careful judg-
ments at present.
1t is, therefore, necessary that we
should set up some machinery by
which the work of this conference
should be rendered complete
Representative of People
We have assembled here for the
purpose of doing very much more than
making the present settlements that
are necessary. We are assembled I'M
der very peculiar conditions Of world
opinion. may say, without straining
the point, that we are not the repre-
sentatives of Governments, but repre-
sentatives of the peoples.
1t will not suffice to satisfy govern
mental cabinets anywhere. 1t is nee
essary that we satisfy the opinion of
mankind.
The burdens of this war have fall
len in an unusual degree upon the
whole population of the countries in
volved. / do not need to draw for you
the picture of how the burden has
been thrown back from the front up
on the older men, upon the women, up
on the children, upon the homes of the
civilized world, and how the real
strain of the war has come where the |
eye of the Governments could not |
reach, but where the heart of human
ity beats.
We are hidden by these people to |
make a peace which will make them |
secure. We are hidden by these peo-
Pile to see to it that this strain does |
not come upon them again. And,
venture to say, that it has been pos
sible for them to bear this strain be- |
cause they hoped that those who rep
resented them could get together af
ter this war and make such another
sacrifice unnecessary.
1t is a solemn obligation on our
part, therefore, to make permanent ar
that justice shall be rem
dered and peace maintained.
This is the central object of our
Settlements may be tenn
porary, but the action of the nations
in the interest of peace and justice
must be permanent. We can set up
permanent processes. We may not be
able to set up permanent decision.
Therefore, it seems to me that we
must take, as far as we can, a picture
of the world into our minds. Is it not
o startling circumstance for one
thing, that the great discoveries of
science, that the quiet studies of men
in laboratories, that the thoughtful de-
which have taken place in
quiet lecture rooms, have now been
turned to the destruction of civiliza-
ton? The powers of destruction
have not so much multiplied as they
nave gained facilities. L
The enemy whom we have just ov-
,rcome, had at his seats of learning
some of the principal centers of scien-
life study and discovery, and he used
hem in order to make destruction
sudden and complete. And only the
and continuous cooperation
If men can see to it that science, as
we'll as armed men, is kept within the
harness of civilization.
In a sense, the United States is
ess interested in this subject than the |
,ther nations here assembled. With
Ter great territory and her extensive
ea borders, it is less likely that the Ii
United States should suffer from the {
ttack of enemies than that other ma (
ions should suffer. And the order &
t the United States--for it is very
eep and genuine ardor-for the So II
iety of nations is not an order spring {
ng out of fear or apprehension, but 7
n order springing out of the ideals r
,hich have come in the ,eonsciousness +
this war. ~ W ~ Ia