The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-02-28

nation ought to be proud to carry. Any
man who resists the present tides that
run in the world will find himself
thrown upon a shore so high and bar
rem that 1t Will seem as If he had been
separated from his human kind for
ever.
THE Europe that l left the other
day was full Of something that never
before filled It's heart so full, 1t was
full Of hope. The Europe Of the sec
ond year Of the war, the Europe Of
the third year Of the war, was sink
ing TO a sort Of stubborn desperation.
They did not see any great thing to
be achieved even when the war should
be won. They hoped there would be
some salvage; they hoped that they
could clear their territories OF inyad.
ing armies; they hoped they could set
up their homes and start their indus.
tries afresh. But they thought it
would simply be the resumption OF the
old life that Europe had led-led in
fear, led in anxiety, led in constant
suspicious watchfulness. They neyer
dreamed that it would be a Europe Of
settled peace ana Of justified hope.
And now these ideals have wrought
this new magic, that all the people Of
Europe are buoyed up and confident
in the spirit OF hope, because they be
Iieye that We are at the eve of a new
age in the world. when nations will
understand n another, when nations
will support one another i'm every just
cause, when nations will unite every
moral and every physical strength to
see that the tight shall prevail.
Must Not Fail.
If America were at this iu%nCtare to
fail the world, what would come of IT,?
do not mean any disreapect to any
other great people when I say that
America is the hope Of the world. and
II she does not Justify that nope the
results are unihinkable. Men will be
thrown back upon the bitterness Of
disappointment not only, but the bit
~teruess OF despair. Al nations will
be set up as hostile camps again; the
men at the peace conference viii go
home with their heads upon their
breasts, knowing thar they have failed
for they were hidden not to come
home from there until they did some
thing more han sign a treaty Of peace.
Suppose We sign the treaty of
peace, and that it is the most satlsfac.
tory treaty OF peace that the cOnfus.
ing elements of the modern world will
afford, and go home and think about
our labors. We will know that we
have left written upon the historic
table at Versailles, upon which Yer.
5ennes and Benjamin Franklin wrote
their names, nothing but a modern
scrap of paper; no nations united to
defend it, no great forces combined to
make it good, no assurance given to
the d"owntrodden and fearful people Of
the world that they shall be sale. Any
man who thinks that America WI
take part in giving the world any such
rebuff and disappointment as that
does not know America.
Il invite him to test the sentiments
Of the Nation. We set this up 10 make
men free and We did not coniine our
conception and purpose to America.
and now we will make men free. II we
did not do that the fame Of America
would be gone and all her powers
would be d%issipated. She then would
have to keep her power for those
narrow, selfish. provincial purposes
which seem so dear to some minds
that have no sweep beyond the nearest
horizon. ! should welcome no sweeter
challenge than that. ! have fighting
blood in me and it is sometimes a de-
light to let it have scope. but if it is
a challenge on this occasion IT win be
an indulgence.
Must Protect Small Nations.
DO you believe in the Polish cause.
as | do? Are YOU going TO set up
Poland, immature, inexperienced as
yet unorganized, and leave her with
a circle OF armies around her? DO
you believe in the aspiration of the
Czecho -Sloyaks and the |Jugo-Slays as
do? DO you know how many powers