The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-01-31

In coming into this war the United
States never for a moment thought
that she was intervening in the poll
tics of Europe, or the politics of Asia,
or the politics of any part of the
world. Her thought was that all the
world had now become conscious that
there was single cause of justice and
of liberty for men of every kind and
place.
Nations League Vital Problem
Therefore, the United States should
| feel that its part in this war should
be played in vain if there ensued up
on it abortive European settlements.
1t would feel that it could not take
part in guaranteeing those European
settlements, unless that guarantee in
volved the continuous superintendent
of the peace of the world by the as
ISOLATED nations of the world.
Therefore, it seems to me that we
must concern our best judgment in
order to make this League of Ma
tons vital thing-a thing some
times called into life to meet an ext
gency-but always functioning in
watchful attendance upon the inter-
ests of the nations, and that it's con-
tinuity should be a vital continuity;
that its functions are continuing func-
tions, that do not permit an intermis-
sion of its watchfulness and of its la
Dor; that it should be the eye of the
nations to keep watch upon the COM
mon interest-an eye that did not
slumber, an eye that was everywhere
watchful and attentive.
And if we do not make it vital,
what shall we do? We shall disap-
point the expectations of the peoples.
This is what their thought centers up
on.
l had the very delightful experience
of visiting several nations since /
came to this side of the water, and
every time the voice of the body of
the people reached me, through any
representatives, at the front of the
plea stood the hope Of the League of
Nations.
Wipe Out Peril of War
We are here to see, in short, that
the very foundations of this war are
swept away. Those foundations were
the private choice Of small coterie
of civil rulers and military stats.
Those foundations were the aggres-
sion of great powers upon the small.
Those foundations were the holding
together of empires Of unwilling sub
jects by the duress of arms. Those
foundations were the power of small
bodies of men to WELD their will and
use mankind as pawns in the game.
And nothing less than the emanci-
patton of the world from these things
will accomplish peace.
You can see that the representa-
tives of the United States see, there
fore, never put to the embarrass-
ment of choosing a way of expediency,
because they have had laid down be-
fore them the unalterable lines of
principles. And, thank God, these
lines have been accepted as the lines
Of settlements by all the high-minded
men who have had to do with the be-
ginning of this great business.
hope, Mr.. Chairman, when it is
known, as feel confident it will be
known, that We have adopted the
principle of the League of Nations and
mean to work out that principle in eff
fective action, we shall by that single
thing have lifted great part of the
lead of anxiety from the hearts of
men everywhere.
We stand in peculiar cause. AS
go about the streets here, / see ev-
erywhere the American uniform.
Those men came into the war after
we had uttered our purpose. They |
zane as crusaders, not merely to win |
4 war, but to win a cause. And | am |
to them, for it falls to me |
% formulate the purpose for which | |
asked them to fight, and l, like them,
must be a crusader for these things,
whatever it costs and whatever it
nay be necessary to do in honor to
accomplish the object for which they
ought.