The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1919-07-07
A Great Debate lnnends

! Philadelphia Ledger (Rep) Presi-
! dent Wilson it is plain, fully realizes
that great task confronts him upon
his return to the United States. and
he is losing no time iii getting to work
upon it. His cabled message to the
American people would have been
| unnecessary were it merely m Of
| fetal announcement of the signing Of
the peace treay; but it is both a de-
Tense OF the peace against its detrac-
tors-at home as well as in Germany
and a characterization If the d0cu-
mont as its trainers would hove the
world receive it. AS the president
points out. il is much more than a
peace treaty. 1t marks a new era in
! the relationship Of nations to one an
other and to mankind as a whole It
/ is a charter Of liberty to the OPP
pressed, the foundation upon which
a stable system of international law
is to be erected by the voluntary CO.
operation and association OF free gov
| ernments of the world, and a guaran-
tee Of justice and fair dealing for
the backward nations struggling up
ward to political consciousness.
It is on this basis that the President
purposes to make his appeal 70 the
patriotism and the conscience Of the
people of the United States against
The egalistic and selfish opposition
which has thus far manifested Itself
in the Senate and elsewhere. This
1ountry has before it the immediate
prospect Of a great debate over the
fundamental principles that are going
to govern the worlds progress in re-
adjusting itself after the vast upheay-
of the last five years. Upon the
outcome of this discussion will de-
pend the part the United States is
going to take. whether as partner
with the nations with which il has
FOUGHT TO save civilization or as a
self conferred and isolated spectator in
tent solely on its own aggrandize-
ment at the expense OF the dis0rganiz-
ed and shattered nations which bore
the brunt of the struggle for life and
liberty.
The mistake Which many iast, crit
les Of the treatr and O. the league OF
Nations make is that they assume the
compact OF Versailles To te { final anc
irreyocahla step complete in Itself ana
invoiving IN iron rule that is 10 gov
crn in the future in all possible condi
tons and complexities The truth is
that while it calls into being a league
Of the nations pledged ito maintain
peace by maintaining right ami as
tice" and in so far inaugUrdteS new
order in the affairs of nations in which
it will be impossible for few men to
use the peoples of great empires TO
serve their ambition for power AMI
ambition" the success or failure Of
the project will depend upon the spirit
in which it is accepted by the enlight-
ened peoples of the world and the sill
cerity of their adhesion to the prin-
ciplCs upon which the league is based.
America is not going to tarnish its
own magnificent achievements in the
war, unless we greatly mistake the
temper of the people. by Sinking its
responsibilities or by declining to DO
its full share of the work of restoring
and strengthening the civilization it
helped to save Our period of nation
al isolation, SO necessary IN the be
ginning. is long past The national
vision covers the whole earth. and We
can no more withdraw from partici-
patton with the other free govern
ments in holding the ground that has
been gained at so appalling a cost
of blood and treasure that We cGr re
fuse 20 share with them the blessings
Of the new political, economic
md social into which the world has
passed The nation awaits the Presi-
dents coming and will give him re
spcctful ana sympathetic hearing as
the spokesman of and advocate for
This new charter for a new order OF
affairs" not only for us but for all
mon of nnnd will eVnrNWhere