South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-05


observed the temper OF those splen-
did boys in khaki that they sent
across the seas / have had the
proud consciousness Of the reflected
I glory of those boys, because the
constitution made me their com
mander-in-chief and they have
taught me some lessons. When we
went into the war we went into IL
on the basis Of declarations which
il was my privilege TO utter. because
I believed them to be an interpre-
ton OF the purpose and thought of
the people of the United States.
and those boys went over there
with the feeling that they were
sacredly bound to the realization Of
these ideals: that they were not only
going over there 10 beat Germany;
they were not going over there
merely with resentment in their
hearts against Il particular outlaw
nation: but that they were crossing
those 5000 miles of sea in order to
show to Europe that the United
States. when il became necessary,
would go anywhere where the
rights of mankind were threatened.
Feel Spiritual Force of U. S.
They would not sit still in the
, trenches They would not be re-
strained by the prudence of expert
, enced continental commanders.
They thought thev had come over
there to do a particular thing, and
they were going to do it and do it at
once. And just as soon as that rush
Of spirit as we'll as rush OF body
lcame in contact with the lines OF
the enemy they began to break, and
they continued to break until the
> end. They continued to break, my
fellow citizens, not merely because
OF the physical force OF those lusty
. youngsters, but because of the ir-
reslstible spiritual force Of the
United States. 1t was that they felt.
II was that that awed them. 1t was
that made them feel, If these young
sters ever got foOthold, they could
never be dislodged and therefore
: every foot Of ground that they won
was permanently won for the liberty
of mankind.
And do you suppose that, having
; felt that crusading spirit of these
!. youngsters, who went over there not
to glorify America, but TO serve their
fellow men. am going to permit
! myself for one moment TO slacken
in my effort to be worthy of them
and their cause. What 1 said at the
opening 1 said with a deeper mean
i, ing than perhaps you have caught;
L do mean not TO break; do mean
not to come back until it's over,
I over there, and it must not be over
until the nations of the world are
assured OF the permanency OF
peace.
, Gentlemen, on this side of the
water would be very much profted
by getting into communication with
: some gentlemen on the other side OF
, the water. We sometimes think, my
fellow citizens, that the experienced
: statesmen of the European nations
/ are an unusually hard-headed set OF
, linen, by which we generally mean
: lalthough we do not admit it, that
: they are a bit cynical; that they
say this is a very practical world. >
) by which you always mean that 1t is
3 not an ideal world that they do not
: believe that things can be settled
f upon an ideal basis. Well, l never
: came into intimate contact with
Z them before, but if they used to be
2 that way they are not that way
D now. They have been subdued, if
- that was once their temper, by the
/ and the awful Importance of what is
. to ensue, and there is not one of
l them with whom I have come in
I contact who does not feel that he
] cannot in conscience return TO his
i people from Paris unless he has
done his utmost to do something
! more than attach his name to a
treaty of peace. Every man in that
conference knows that the treaty of
peace in itself will be imperative.
as Mr. Taft has said. without this
u constant support and energy Of a
2. great organization such as is sup
/. piled by the league of nations.
And men, who, when 1 first went
, over there were skeptical Of the
possibility of forming a league of
z nations admitted that if we could
= but form it. it would be an invalua-
o BILE fundamentally through which
Z to secure the operation of the va
d rious parts of the treaty; and when
= that treaty comes back gentlemen,
d on this side will find the covenant
e not only in it, but so many threads
: of the treaty tied TO the covenant
that you cannot dissect the covenant
y from the treaty without destroying
= the whole vital structure The
: structure Of peace will not be vital
I without the league Of nations and
u no man is going to bring back a
o cadaver with him.
Puzzled by Some Critics.
L must say that 1 have been
7 puzzled by some OF the criticisms.
o not by the criticisms themselves: ]
can understand them perfectly. even
when there was no foundation for
g them; but by the fact OF the criti-
- cism. I cannot imagine how these
g gentlemen can live and not live in
= the atmosphere of the world
o II cannot imagine how they can
5 live and not be in contact with the