Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1919-06-06
PRESIDENT PLEADS
FOR LEAGUE
His Memorial Address Delivered
IN France Also an Eloquent
Eulogy to the Brave

IN Memorihi lay Whiie stunning
On . eraye-cOvered hill overlooking
Paris. President Wilson delivered
what IL regarded by many as one Of
his best addresses.
The scene was an inspiring one;
there were the long rows Of veterans
who lined the narrow path along
which the President approached the
platfom-on one side the American
boys and on the other their French
comrades; ON the. platform was a dis
tinguished gathering Of representa-
lives Of England, France, and Amer
lea; there also were many thousands
Of citizens of America and Of the ma
tons Of Europe, Asia, South America
Africa and Australia, many Of whom
had journeyed thousands Of miles to
visit the cemetery (old Fort Valerian)
and decorate the graves Of loved ones;
and there were the long rows Of
graves Of the heroes of the World
War. As the President assembled the
platform and looked out upon this
scene he was deeply moved. This was
evident not only from his words but
from his manner as he spoke TO the
multitude.
First there was an eloquent eulogy
Of the brave fallen, as well as the liv-
ing, crusaders from America, "their
motherland" as the President christ
ened her; then there was a graceful
and well-merited acknowledgment of
the fact that the noble women of
France 'have given evidence of the
loving sense with which they received
these dead as their own" for they
have cared for their graves with low
ing interest through all the months
that have gone by; and then the Presi-
dent referred, in intense earnestness,
to the matter of the Covenant Of the
League of Nations. He said, in part,
Is follows:
at would be no profit to US to
eulogize these illustrations dead if we
did not take to heart the lessons which
they have taughtsFbs They are dead;
they have done their: utmost to show
their devotion to a great cause, and
they have left US to see to it that that
cause shall not be betrayed, whether
in peace or in war. 1t is not nee
essary that / should rehearse to you.
what these objects were. These men
did not come across the seas merely
to defeat Germany and her associated
Powers in war; They came to defeat
forever the things for which the Cen
trail Powers stood. It is for US
to use our proper weapons Of
council and agreement to see to it that
there never is such a war again. :.
II 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
Italy and Belgium and all other suf-
fering nations should never be called
upon for this sacrifice again. This
can be done. It must be done. And
Il will be done. The thing that these
men left us, though they did not in
their cOunsels conceive it, is the great
instrument which we have just erected
in the League Of Nations. The League
of Nations is the covenant Of Covert
ments that these men shall have not
died IN vain.
'There is here and there an attempt
to insert in the counsel Of statesmen
the old reckoning Of selfshness and
bargaining and national advantage
which were the roots of this war, and
any man who counsels these things
advocates q renewal Of the sacrifice
which men have made, fce.if this is
not the final battle for right thHke will
be another that will be finaf"fs
There can be no doubt as to the sim
eereity Of the Presidents appeal nor
as to the genuineness of his belief in
the necessity for and the efficiency of
the Covenant in the framing of which
he has played such an important part.
There is no question ab0at this, but
there is q questiOn-which remains
yet to be answered by the American
people here at home, and by the MEM
bers of the United States Senate who
are now in far closer touch with their
desires than is the President after his
long absence from the country-as to
whether our people are prepared to &C
eept this League of Nations plan,
about which neither they nor the
United States Senate has, as yet, been
consulted.
In this connection there is certain
grim humor in the following sentences
of the Presidents address: 1.-THE peo-
ples of the world are awake and the