The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-28
Indicates in His Boston Ad-
dress Eagerness to Battle
for League of Nations.
Wilson Declares That Americans Who
Would Have Their Country Fail
The World Are Lacking In
Broad Vision.

/
Broad Vision.
Boston.-President Woodrow vii
son, just back from Europe, delivered
an address in Mechanics hall Monday
afternoon, February "a, in which hi
threw down the gauntlet to those who
distrust the proposed concert of gov
ernments, based, he declared, on the
American ideals which have won the
war for justice and humanity.
The complete text Of the presidents
address follows: $50
I wonder If you are half as glad to
see me as am to see you? 1t warns
my heart to see a great body of my
fellow citizens again, because in some
respects during the recent months
have been very lonely indeed without
your comradeship and counsel, and
tried at every step of the work which
fell to me to recall what I was sure
would be your counsel with regard to
the great matters which were under
consideration. c
do not want you to think that
have not been appreciative of the ex.
traordinarily generous reception which
was given to me on the other side, In
saying that it makes me very happy
to get home again. dO-nOt mean to
say that was not very deeply touched
by the cries that came from the great
crowds on the other side. But I want
to say to you in all honesty that felt
them to be call of greeting to you
rather than to me.
did not feel that the greeting was
personal. had in my heart the over
crowding pride of being your repre-
sentative and of receiving the plaudits
of men everywhere who felt that your
hearts beat with theirs in the cause of
liberty.
There was no mistaking the tone in
the voices of those great crowds. 1t
was not tone of mere greeting. It
was not tone of mere generous well
come; it was the calling of comrade to
cOmrade, the cries that come from men
who say: "We have waited for this
day when the friends of liberty should
come across the sea and shake hands
with us, to see that new world was
constructed upon a new basis and
foundation of justice and right"
I can't tell you the inspiration that
came from the sentiments that came
out Of those simple voices of the
crowd. And the proudest thing have
to report to you Is that this great
country of ours is trusted throughout
the world.
l have not come to report the pro-
ceedings or the results of the proceed
ings of the peace conference; that
would be premature
I can say that have received very
happy. impressions from this confer
ence; the impression that while there
are many differences of judgment,
while there are some divergences of
object, there is, nevertheless, COM
mon spirit and common realization
Of the necessity of setting up new
standards Of right in the world.
Not Masters, but Servants.
Because the men who are in con-
ference in Paris realize as, keenly as
any American can realize that they
are not the masters of their people;
that they are the servants of their
people, and that the spirit of their peo-
pie has awakened to new purpose
and a new conception Of their power
to realize that purpose, and that no
man dare go home from that confer
ence and report anything less noble
than was expected Of it.
The conference seems to you to 60 |
slowly; from day to day in Paris It
seems to go slowly; but I wonder If
you realize the completely Of the task
which it has undertaken? 1t seems as
If the settlements Of the war affect,
and affect directly, every great, and I
sometimes think every small, nation in
the world, and no one decision can
prudently be made which is not prop
erly linked in with the great series Of
other decisions which must accompany
1t. And it must be reckOned in with
the final result If the real quality
and character of that result Is to be
judged.
What we are doing Is to hear the
whole case; hear it from the mouths
Of the men most interested; hear 1t
from those who are officially commits
stoned to state it; hear the rival
claims hear the claims that affect
new areas of the world. that affect
new commercial and economic connec-
lions that have been established by
he great world war through which
We have gone. |,
Claims Of Nations Moderate.
I have been struck by the moderate
less Of those who have represented
rational claims. I can testify that
lave nowhere seen the CLEAN of pas
lion. have seen earnestness, have s
,een tears come to the eyes Of men
Who pleaded for down-trodden people
whom they were privileged to speak
or; but they were not the tears Of ,,
lnguish, they were the tears of ardent :
lope.
And don't see how any man can fail !.
0 have been subdued by these pleas, :.
ubdued to this feeling, that he was
lot there to assert an individual judg-
nent of his own, but to try to assist y
he cause Of humanity.
In the midst Of it all, every interest ?
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