The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-15
IA NATIONS REPRESENTED

plished, he said.
 14 NATIONS REPRESENTED
 The results, said President Wilson,
 embodied the judgment of 14 nations
 reported on the commission, and these
 14 nations were representative group
 of the conference itself.
 This is union or will in com
 mon purpose" the President proceeded. Tt is a union which cannot be re-
 sisted, and I dare say one which no nation will attempt to resist" The President pointed out that the document was no straight jacket" It was elastic, and not vehicle Of might, he said It was yet to be developei,
 and as yet care should be taken as to the clothes put on it. While elaStlc, yet it was definite.
 'It is definite" continued Presiden. Wilson. "as a guarantee of peace. It is definite at a guarantee against aggression. It is definite against re-
 newal of such cataclysm as has Just shaken civilization.' The President spoke with especlai emphasis as he referred to the wrongs committed against helpless peoples. There is one especially notable fea- ture in this document" he said. we
 are done with annexation of helpless peoples, at times accomplished in the fact for the purpose of exploiting or these peoples. In this document we recognize that these helpless commit mites are first to be helped and de- veloped and that their own interests and well being shall come before any
 material advantage to the mandatory entrusted with their case TOO MUCH APPROPRIATION Too often in the past the President added. the world had seen the lands
 of helpless communities appropriated for political purposes.
 And so," he said while this is practical document, it is above all
 human document. It is practical and at
 the same time it is designed to purify, to rectify. to elevate"
 President Wilson closed his address
 at 4:30 o'clock, having read and spoken
 just one hour An interpreter then proceeded to render a discourse which
 occupied another hour.
 Lord Robert Cecil, head of the
 British commission on the league of
 nations, followed the interpreter in all earnest speech. It was \ good omen, said Lord Robert. that this document had been laid before tho world before
 being finally enacted. so that people 1 everywhere could advise upon and crit l icize it. The problem had been one 1 of great difficulty for it was to pre- serve the peace of the world with the ! least possible interference with na- tional sovereignty
 l The results accomplished, he con. | tinued, embraced two main principles; 1 First, no nation shall go to war until 1 every other means of settlement shal. | be fully and fairly tried; second, na nation shall seek to forcibly disturb | territory's integrity or interfere with the political independence of the na. tions of the world. These were the great principles. but later another
 great principle must be laid down, | namely, that no nation should retaln armaments fit only for aggressive pnr- 1 poses
 pr Vittorio Orlando, the Italian prime minister. expressed deep satifaction at 1 having colaborated in what was going l to be one of the greatest documents in | history. He would not sreak of the merits l of the scheme as these had been ex- p,ained by one whose noble nspiration ,Aad hrought it into existence. The war | Tad brought forth the necessity for this document "Thus born out of the pains of war; | the premier exclaimed. this is a docu-
 nent of freedom and right which repre- sents the redemption of humanity by sac | ,.if %