The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-05
President Wilson Told Au-
dience in New York
City
EXPLAINED HOW
COVENANT DRAWN
EXPIRES. Taft Appeared as
Advocate of Same
Cause

New York, March 5.--On the eve of
his return to the peace conference, Presi-
dent Wilson delivered an address here
last night at the Metropolitan opera
house urging establishment of a league
of nations. Former President Taft,
speaking from the same platform, also
outlined his reasons for believing that
league should be formed to prevent flu
ture wars.
Governor Smith of New York presided
at the meeting and introduced both Pres
ident Wilson and Mr.. Taft.
The president and Mr.. Taft walked
onto the stage arm in arm They were
applauded for several minutes The au-
dience remained standing until the presi-
dent took his seat.
Addressing himself to the subject of
the league of nations, President Wilson
said in part
ut is one of the agreements of this
covenant that it is the friendly right of
every nation member of the league to
call attention to anything that it thinks
will disturb the peace of the world, no
matter where that thing is occurring.
"There is no subject that may touch
the peace of the world which is exempt
from inquiry and discussion, and / think
everybody here present will agree with
me that Germany would never have gone
to war if she had permitted the world to
discuss the aggression upon Serbia for
single week.
"The British foreign office suggested,
it pleaded that there might be a day or
two delay so that the representatives of
the nations of Europe could get together
and discuss the possibilities of a settle
ment. Germany did not dare permit a
days discussion. You know what hap
pened. So soon as the world realized
that an outlaw was at large, the nations
began one by one to draw together
against her.
1--WE know for a certainty that if Ger
many had thought for moment that
Great Britain would 90 in with France
and with Russia she never would have
undertaken the enterprise, and the
league of nations is meant as a notice
to all outlaw nations that not only Great
Britain, but the United States and the
rest of the world will go in to stop enter
prses of that sort So the league of ma
tons is nothing more nor less than the
covenant that the world will always
maintain the standards which it has now
indicated to some of the most precious
blood ever split.
THE liberated peoples of the Austro-
Hungarian empire and of the Turkish
empire call out to us for this thing. 1t
has not arisen in the council of states
men. Europe is a bit sick at heart at
tbfs x-arxv moment baea9,ea - caas fbof
statesmen have had no vision, and that
the only vision has been the vision of
the people. Those who suffer see Those
against whom wrong is wrought know
how desirable is the right and the right
eous.
",The nations that have long been I'M
der the heel of the Austrian, that have
long covered before the German, that
have long suffered the indescribable
agonies of being governed by the Turk,
have called out to the world, generation
after generation, for justice, for liberia
tion, for succor; and no cabinet in the
world has heard them.
private organizations, pitying hearts,
phiIauthropic men and women have
poured out their treasure in order to re-
lieve these sufierings; but no nation has
said to the nations responsible You must
stop; this thing is intolerabe, and we
will not permit it, And the vision has
been with the people
MY friends | wish you would reflect
upon this proposition, The vision as to
what is necessary for great reforms has
seldom come from the top in the nations
Of the world. 1t has come from the need
and the aspiration and the self a ssert ion
of great bodies OF men who meant to be
free. And | can explain some of the crit
icisms which have been leveled against
this great enterprise only by the supposi-
ton that the men who utter the criticism
have never felt the great pulse of the
heart of the world.
"And | am amazed-not alarmed but