Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-04

| sFARlS, Fepruary .S.-PreSldeHt WIZ
son this evening delivered an address
| in the chamber of deputies. having as
| auditors President Poincare, the pres
| idents of the chamber and the senate
and large numbers Of members OF
both houses of parliament and the
personnel of the French cabinet.
The President was accompanied to
the Palais Bourbon by President Poin-
care, who called for him at the Murat
| mansion. Premier clemenceau and
NJ. Dubost, speaker Of the senate. also
were in the party =,
Military honors we're rendered by
the republican guard. respondent In
new uniforms and their full regatta.
The presidential party entered the
chamber amid fanfare of bugies and
the rolling of drums.
Mrs. Wilson, Mime. Poincare and
Nine. Deschanel had seats in the
presidential gallery.
Cheer for Five Minutes.
AS President Wilson rose and walk
ed toward the tribune with QUICK
step the deputies. senator's and others
arose and cheered and applauded Tor
fully five minutes. The audience IN
sisted on hearing the Presidents ad-
dress standing. NJ Poincare, Clenen-
ceau and Dubost also stood. This
seemed to embarrass President VIII
son, who made gestures that the
deputies remain seated. but they
shouted: standing! We will hear you
Standfngt" 5-s-<-.s- $3.50 s-.s- 49,
President Wilson turned t. NJ Des-
chanel, begging him to request that
the deputies be seated, but the pfesi-
dent of the chamber shrugged his
shoulders, as IL helpless, and Presi-
dent Wilson began in q low voice.
which gained force al he proceeded.
There was ripple OF applause now
and then as he was speaking. but the
majority of the deputies and senator's
clearly; thus the enthusiasm did not
break out until the Interpreter trans
lated the speech. Then deputies and
senator's gave full vent to their feel
ings. President Wilson spoke as fol-
lows:
Presidents Speech.
II am keenfy aware OF the unusual
and distinguished honor you are paying
me by permitting me to meet you In
this place and to address you from this
historic platform.
Indeed, sir, as day has followed day
and week has followed week In this
hospitab1e land OF France, / have felt
the sense OF comradeship ever become
more and more intimate and 1t. has
seemed to me that tho making of hiss
tory was becoming singularly clear.
we knew before this war began that
France and America were united in af-
lection: We knew the occasions which
drew the two nations together in those
years which NOW seem 30 far away.
when the world was first beginning to
thrill with the impulse of human nberty.
when the soldiers Of France came TO
help the struggling little republic of
one of the first victories. Of freedom.
I've had never forgotten that but we
did not see the full meaning of it. A
hundred years and more went by and
the spindles were slowly weaving the
web OF history. We did not see it to
be made plain.
Diverging Lines Meet
Now look what has happened: in
that far-on day. when France came to
the assistance of America, America was
fighting Great Britain. And now she Is
linked as closely to Great Britain as
she is to France. We see now how
these apparently diverging lines Of his
which once stood in battle array against
one another. are now shoulder to
shoulder, fighting common enemy.
TT was a long time before we saw
that, and IN the last four years sorne-
thing has happened that is unprecedent-
ed in the history Of mankind. It is MOTH
ing less than this-that bodies Of men
on both sides Of the sea and in all parts
Of the world have come to realize their
comradeship in freedom.
France In the meantime, as we
have 50 often said. stood at the from
tier Of freedom. Her lines lay along
the very lines that divided the home
of freedom from the home of military
despotism. Hers was the immediate
Hers was the most pressing necessity
| of preparation. and she had constantly
TO ask herself this question: II the
blow falls. who viii come to our as
sistanceT
and the question was answered In
i the most unexpected; way. Her allies
tcame to her assistance. but many more
| than her allies. The free people Of
the world came to her assistance
America Pays Her Debt.
And in this way America paid her
debt Of gratitude TO France; by sending
her sons to night. upon the soil OF
France. She did more. She assisted
| in drawing the forces OF the world
Together in order that France might
never again feel her isolation: in Or
| der that France might nBver feel that
hers was lonely peril: and would
never again have to ask the question
For the5altcrnative Is . terrible al
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