Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-09-11
PRESIDENT IN OPENING SPEECH
ES OF TOUR VOICES HIGH
HOPE.
WORLD WAITS FOR The U. S.
Future Free From War if America
Carries Out Her Pledges,
Says the Chief
Executive.
(BY MOUNT CLEMENS NEWS BU-
REAU.)


st. Louis.-Displaying a high conf
dence that his fellow citizens in the
great majority agree with him in his
desire to end war forever, and that
they will see to it that the peace treaty
with it's League Of Nations inclusion is
ratified by the senate, President Will
son is making a successful way across
the country on the long journey he has
undertaken for the purpose of laying
before the plain people report Of his
work in Paris and explaining to them
just what the league means.
Thus far in his travels he has every
where met with warm greetings, both
in the great halls where he has spoken
formally and in the little croSsroad
hamlets where his train has halted at
times and he has exchanged words
with the villagers who pressed for
ward to greet him.
He feels, and does not hesitate to
say so when chatting with his travel
ing companions, that the American
people want no more of war and want
to become part Of the league so that
there may be no more war. He struck
his keynote when he said in his first
address in Columbus, O.:
''This treaty was not intended mere
ly to end this single war. It is meant
as notice to every government who
in the future will attempt this thing
10 of hof
kind will unite to infiict the same pun
ishment. There is no national tri-
umph to be recorded in this treaty.
There is no glory sought for any par
ticular nation. The thought of the
statesmen collected around that table
was Of their people, of the sufferings
they had gone through, of the losses
they had incurred, of that great throb-
bing heart which was so depressed, so
forlorn, sc. sad in every memory it had
Of the i've tragicdis years tisat have
gone by. Let us never forget those
years, my fellow countrymen; let us
never forget the purpose, high and dis
interested, with which America lent it's
strength not for its own glory but for
the defense of mankind.
"As / said, this treaty was not in
tended merely to end this war. 1t was
intended to prevent any similar war.
wonder If some of the opponents Of
the League of Nations have forgotten
the promises we made our people be-
fore we went to that peace table. We
had taken by processes of law the flow
er of our youth from every country
side, from every household, and we
told those mothers and fathers and sis
ters and wives and sweethearts that
we were taking those men to fight a
war which would end business Of that
sort, and if we do not end it, if we do
not do the best that human concert Of
action can do to end it, we are of all
men the most unfaithful-the most un-
faithful to the loving hearts who suf-
fered in this war, the most unfaithful
to those households bowed in grief and
yet lifted with the feeling that the lad
laid down his life for a great thing,
and, among other things, in order that
other lads might never have to do the
same thing.
'That Is what the League of Ma
tions is for-to end this war justly
and then not merely to serve notice
on governments which would contem-
plate the same things Germany con-
templates, that they will do so at their
peril, but also concerning the COM
bination of power which will prove to
them that they will do it at their
peril. 1t is idle to say the world will
combine against you; but it is per-
suasiye to say the world is combined
against you. The League of Nations
is the only thing that can prevent the
recurrence of this dreadful catastro-
phe and redeem our promises"
A League of Nations would have
prevented the late conflict, the presi-
dent asserted, explaining:
81 did not meet a single public man
who did not admit these things: That
Germany would not have gone into
this war if she thought Great Britain
was 6OlAS iuIO II, dHu That SHC hOSI
certainly would never have gone into
1t had she dreamed America was 60
ing into it. And they all admit that
q notice beforehand that the great
est powers of the world would COM
bine to prevent this sort Of thing
would prevent it absolutely"
Applause and cheers greeted each
declaration of the president that wars
might be avoided in future by the
operations of the League Of Nations.
In conclusion, the president said he
felt certain the treaty will be accept
ed, and was only impatient of the de-
lay. He added:
'Do you realize, my fellow citizens.
that the whole world is waiting on
America? The only country in the