The Washington herald., 1919-05-31
WILSON DEFIES ALL
ON LEAGUE ISSUE
AT HEROES GRAVES
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
in the same spirit and in the same
language. For the duty of this war
is that 1t has brought a new part
nership and new comradeship and
a new understanding into the field
Of effort OF the nation.
Must Take Lesson to Heart.
But 1t would be no profit to US to
eulogize these illustrious dead II we
did not take to heart the lesson which
they have taught us. They are dead;
they have done their utmost to show
their devotion to a great cause, and
they have left us to see to 1t that
that cause shall not be betrayed
whether in war or in peace. 1t is
our privilege and our high duty to
consecrate ourselves afresh on a day
like this to the objects for which
they fought. 1t is not necessary that
should rehearse to you what these
objects were. These men did not come
across the seas merely to defeat Ger
many and her associated powers in
the war
They came to defeat forever the
things for which the central powers
stood, the sword of power they meant
| to assert in the world. the arrogant,
selfish domsation which they meant
to establish; and they came, more
over. TO see TO it that there should
never be a war like this again. 1t is
for US, particularly for us who are
civilized, 20 use our proper weapons
of counsel and agreement to see to II
that there never is such a war again.
The nation that should now fling out
OF this common concord OF counsel
would betray the human race.
so 1t Is our duty to take and main
tain the safeguards which will see to
it that the mothers OF America and
the mothers OF France and England
and Italy and Belgium and all the
other suffering nations should never
be called upon for this sacrifice again.
This can be done. 1t must be done
And it will be done.
Points TO League.
THE thing that these men left US.
though they did not in their counsels
! conceive it. is the great instrument
which we have just erected in the
lea que Of nations.
THE league of nations is the
covenant of governments that the Sc
men shall not have died in vain. ]
like to think that the dust of those
sons of America who were privi-
legged to be buried in their mother
country will mingle with the dust
OF the men who fought for the pre-
servation of the Union, and that as
those men gave their lives in order
that America might be united, these
men have given their lives in order
that the world might be unitea
Those men gave their lives in order
to secure the freedom of a nation
These men have given theirs in or
der to secure the freedom of man
kind; and I look forward to an age
when it will be just as impossible to
regret the results of their labor as
it is now impossible to regret the
results of the labor of those who
fought for the Union of the States
| look for the time when every
man who now puts his counsel
against the united service of man.
kind under the league of nations
will be just as ashamed of 1t as II
he now regretted the Union of the
States.
Some Revert to Old Order.
You are aware, as | am aware.
that the airs of an older day are be-
ginning to stir again, that the stan,
dards of an old order are trying 10
assert themselves again. There is
here and there an attempt to inser,
into the counsel of statesmen the old
reckoning of selfshness and bargain
ing and national advantage which
were the roots of this war. and any
man who counsels these things advo-
Gates the renewal of the sacrifice
which these men have made; for il
I to he
there will be another that will be
final.
Let these gentlemen who suppose
that it is poss :~-~ them to accom-
plfsh this, return to an order of
which we are ashamed and that we
are ready to forget. They cannot ao.
complish it. The peoples Of the world
are awake and the peoples of the
world are in the saddle. Private coun-
sells of statesmen cannot now and
cannot hereafter determine the des-
TIMES of nations. If we are not the
servants Of the opinion of mankind.
we are of all men the littlest, the
most contemplate. the least gifted
with vision. If We do not know our
age. we cannot accomplish our pur-
pose. and this age is an age which
looks forward. not Backward; which
rejects the standard of national sell
! fishness that once governed the coun-
sells of nations and demands that they
shall give way to n new order of
things in which the only question will
be is 1t right?' Is it just?' Is It in
the interest Of mankind"
Challenge Before Unheeded,
This is a challenge that no pre-
vious generation ever dared to give
ear to. So many things have hap
pened. and they have happened so
fast in the last four years, that / do
not think many of us realize what it
is that has happened. Think how
| impossible it would have been to
get body of responsible statesmen
seriously to entertain the idea of the
| organization of a league of nations
| four years ago! And think of the
change that has taken place, I was
told before I came to France that
there would be confusion of counsels
about this thing and found unity of
| counsel. ] was told that there would
be opposition and I found union of
action I found the statesmen with
whom I was about to deal united in
| the idea that we must have a league
| Of nations: that we could not merely
| make a peace settlement and then
| leave 1t to make itself effectual. but
\ that we must conceive some common
| organization by which we should give
| our cornp1np faith th;o