The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-04

| from the home of military despotism Hers was the immediate peril Her. 1 was the constant dread. Hers was ths | most pressing necessity of preparation
 and she had constantly to ask herself ! this question, if the blow falls, who will come to our assistance?'
 ! And the question was answered ir | the most unexpected way. Her allies came to her assistance, but many more
 than her allies. The free people of the world came to her assistance.
 And in this way America paid her debt of gratitude to France by sending | her sons to fight upon the soil of France. 1 She did more. She assisted in drawing
 the forces of the world together in or
 der that France might never again feel her isolation; in order that France
 might never feel that hers was a lonely peril and would never again have to ask the question who would come to her assistance.
 For the alternative is a terrible all formative for France. l do not need to point out to you that east of you in Europe the future is full of question, Beyond the Rhine, across Germany, across Poland. across Russia, across Asia there are questions unanswered and they may be for the present un- answerable. FRANCE STILL THREATENED France still stands at the frontier.
 France still stands in the presence of
 those threatening and unanswered que3-
 tions-threatening because unanswered; 1;
 stands waiting for the solution of mat
 ters which touch her directly .and inti-
 mately and constantly, and if she must
 stand alone what must she do? She
 must put upon her people a constant
 burden of taxation. She must undergo
 sacrifice that may become intolerable.
 And not only she. but the other na
 tions of the world must do the. like.
 They must be ready for any terrible in-
 cident of injustice. The thing is not
 inconceivable
 1T visited the other day a portion Of
 the devastated region of France. I saw
 the noble city of Rheims in ruins and i
 could not help saying to myself here
 Is where the blow fell because the rulers of the world did not sooner see how to
 prevent it.
 "The rulers of the world have been thinking of the relations of governments and forgetting the relations of peoples. They have been thinking of the maneu- xers >of international dealings, when what they ought to have been thinking of was the fortunes of men and women
 and the safety of home and the care that
 they should take that their people should be happy because they were safe. ~ They know that the only way toSdo this is to make 1t certain that the same thing will not always happen that has happened this time, that there never shall be any doubt waiting or sur-
 mise, but that whenever France or any
 free people is threatened the whole
 world will be ready to vindicate its liberty.
 Tt is for that>reason, I take it. that find such warm and intelligent en- thusasm in France for the society of nations-Franee with her keen vision, France with her prophetic vision. 'It seems to be not only the need of France. but the need of mankind. And France sees the sacrifices which are necessary for the establishment of the society of nations are not to be com pared With the constant dread of an- other catastrophe falling on the fair cities and areas of France.
 There was a no more beautiful country. EThere was a no more pros porous country. There was a no more free-spirited people. All the world had admired France and none of the world , grudged France her greatness and her prosperity except those who grudGed her liberty and her prosperity. And It has profted us, terribly as the cost has been, to witness what has hap pened, to see with the physical eye what has happened. because injustice was wrought
 The president of the chamber has pictured. as I cannot picture, the ap- palling sufferngs, the terrible tragedy of France, but it is a tragedy which could not be repeated. As the pattern 1 of history has disclosed itself it has disclosed the hearts of men drawing g toward another, Comradeships have become vivid. The purpose of associa- l ton has become evident.
 l ''The nations of the world are about
 to consummate d brotherhood which will make it unnecessary in the future to maintain those crushing armamehts which make the peoples suffer almost as much 1 in peace they suffered in war. NEED OF MANKIND
 | When the soldiers of America crosset
 the ocean they did not bring with them
 merely their arms They brought with
 them very vivid conception of France. l They landed upon the soil of France 1 with auickened pulses. They knew that
 they had come to do a thing which the
 heart of America had long wished to do. 1 When General Pershing stood at the 1 tomb of Lafayette and said 'LaFayette, we are here!i it was as if he had said 1 Lafayette. here is the completion ot l the great story whose first chapters you 1 assisted to write
 "The world has seen the great plot | worked out. and now the people oi 1 France may rest assured that their pros- perity is secure because their homes
 are secure; and men everywhere not only
 wish her safety and prosperity but are ready to assure her that with al lthe l force and wealth at their command they will guarantee her security and safety 1 50, as we sit from day to day at the l Quai D'Orsay, think to myself, we might. if we could gain an audience oi l the free peoples of the world adopt the language of General Pershing and say l, Friends. men, humble women. little chil l dren, we are here; we are here as youi
 friends. as your champions, as your rep. | resentatives. We have come to worl
 out for you a world which is fit to live in and in which all countries can enjoy the heritage of liberty for which France
 ard America and England and ltal!
 have Aaid so dear"
 NO REPLY FROM AMERICANS | ey AsaeeIatsd Prsss
 l Paris, February 3.-No answer ha
 been returned by the American dele
 | patAs to the peace conference to Wha