The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-04
President Wilson Tells Italian
People How q. S. Stands.
Distinguishing Fact of War Is
Breaking of Empires.
TALKS OF BALKAN QUESTION
Friendship the Only Thing
Holding Nations Together.
There Cannot Be Another Bal
ance of Power Now.

-.ome. Jan. An Pariiamen. house,
a joint reception was gieen President
Wilson by the members of the senate
and the chamber of deputies The
function was an impressive one. The
large and distinguished gathering gave
the president an ovation. The presi-
dent spoke as follows:
.Your Majesty and Mr.. Pr Nsident of
the Chamber:
You are bestowing upon me an I'M
precedented honor which 1 accept be-
cause 1 believe that it is extended to
me as the representative of the great
going to take this first opportunity to
say how entirely the heart of the
American people has been with the
great people of Italy.
I'VE have seemed, no doubt, indif-
ferent at times. to look from great
distance. but our hearts have never
been far away. All sorts of ties have
long bound the people of America to
the people of Italy and when the peo-
pie of the United States, knowing this
people, have witnessed it's sufferings,
its sacrifices, its heroic actions upon
the battlefie1ds and its heroic endur-
ance at home-itS steadfaSt endurance
at home touching US more nearly to
the quick even than its heroic action
on the battlefield-we have been
bound by a new tie of profound ad-
miration.
Then back of it all and thru it all
running like the golden thread that
wove it together, was our knowledge
that the people of Italy had gone into
this war for the same exalted princi-
pie of right and justice that moved our
own people And so l welcome this
opportunity of conveying to you the
heartfelt greetings of the people of
the United States.
Difficult Things Ahead.
But we cannot stand in the shadow
of this war without knowing there are
things which are in some sense more
difficult than these we have under
taken, because, while it is easy to
speak of right and justice. it is some
times difficult to work them out in
practice and there will be required a
purity of motives and disinterestednes
of object which the world has never
witnessed before in the councils of ma
lions.
at is for that reason that it seems
to me you will forgive me if lay some
of the elements of the new situation
| before you for moment. The distin-
gushing fact of this war is that great
empires have gone to pieces. And the
characteristics of those empires are
that they hold different peoples reluc-
| family together under the coercion of
force and the guidance of intrigue.
Secret Influence There
states as those of the Balkans has been
that they were always accessible TO
secret influence; and they were al
ways being penetrated by intrigue, OF
some sort or another: that north of
them lay distuI bed populations which
were held together not by sympathy
and friendship, but by the coercive
forces of a military power.
Now the intrigue is checked and
the bands are broken and what we
are going to provide is a new cement
to hold the people together. They
have not been accustomed to being in
dependent. They must now be indie
pendent
Il am sure that you recognize the
principle 1 do-that it Is not our
privilege to say what sort of a gov
ernment they should set up. But we
are friends of those people and it is
our duty as their friends to see to it
that some kind of protection is thrown
around them-something supplied
which will hold them together.
Friendship-Good VIII.
There is only one thing that holds
nations together, if you exclude force,
and that is friendship and good will.
The only thing that binds men to-
gethe1 is friendship. and by the same
token the only thing that binds nations
together is friendship.
Therefore, our task at Paris is to
organize the friendship of the world
| to see to it that all the moral forces
| that make for right and justice and
| liberty are united and are given a vital
organization to which the peoples of
| the world will readily and gladly re-
spond.
I'm other words. our task is no less
| colossal than this: to set up a new
| interna tional psychology. to have a
new, real atmosphere. l am happy to
| say that in my dealings with the dis
| tinguished gentlemen who les your
nation, and those who lead France
! and England, l feel that atmosphere
/ gathering, that desire to do justice
| that desire to establish friendliness,
| that desire to make peace rest upon
right. and, with this common purpose,
! no obstacles need be formidable.
| Overcome the Obstacle.
1.-The only use of an obstacle is to
| be overcome. All that an obstacle
| does with brave men is not to frighten
them but to challenge them. So that
it ought to be our pride to overcome
everything that stands in the way.
| I'VE know that there cannot be an
| other balance OF power. That has
been tried and found wanting, for the
| best of all reasons, that it does not
stay balanced inside itself and d
weight which does not hold together
cannot constitute a make-weight in the
affairs of men. Therefore, there must
! be something substituted for the ball
ance of power. and / am happy to find
everywhere in the air of these great
must be a thoroly united league of
nations.
What men once considered theo-