The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-25
Shows Him Ready to. Battle
with Those Opposing
League Idea !. =
ISSUES. CHALLENGE
TO ALL HIS CRITICS
Invites Them to Test Sentiment of Ma
tion of Which He Declares He is Con-
ident-only Speech During His
Short Stay in This Country.

BOSTON, Mass, Feb. 25.-Throwing
down the glove of defiance to all sena-
tors and others who oppose the sleague
of nations, and challenging them to COM
bat with him, President Wilson signalized
the first day of his return in a way that
gave the deepest comfort to those friends
of his who wanted him to make fight
ing speech, not to delivers prose poem.
The President set foot in Boston at
ll.56 am. He drove through throng
OF 200, 900 of his fellow citizens to the
Hotel Copley Plaza, where he took lunch
con, going Immediately from there to
Mechanics hall. There 7,OD0 people, all
that could be crowded into the hall, ties.
titled their satisfaction at every point he
made, especially when he challenged the
senatorial and other opponents of his
policy to the fight of their lives.
Outside, Heaven knows how many thou.
sands waited patiently for him to conclude
his speech so that they could see and
cheer him when he came out. He left at
4.30 for Washington, where he will tran
sact such public business as is necessary
ahu ucIluiI dS Sool dS ne possibly can IOl
France to take up his international work
again.
The great event of the day, the only
speech, so far as is known, which he will
deliver during the shert period of his
stay in America, divided itself into two
parts, the iirst being, from the stand
point of those who want shoHlder.hittinp
tactics, painfully general and 'idealistie. .
The second was all for war 1t was the
second part that called forth the most
cheers. 1t jeered, in the very fashion OF
the famous jeer against thes little group
of wilful men, against some narrow
minded minds that have no sweep be-
yond the days horizon" It welcomed
a fight with them.
Il have fighting blood in me-" declared
the President, and the crowde appiasded
Us it had not applaaded amy of the ideal
sms that had gone before. He reused
the crowd again by demanding to, know
II they were prepared to break the hopes
Of the new nations, Poland, fzechosloya
l1ia, Armenia, and the rest, by slipping
cut of the promises America had made
and he explained with clear forcefulness
that to abandon the Paris treaty would
be doing just that thing But he did not
believe this would be done, and he got
the widest cheer-with one exception
of the day by saying: II have no more
doubt OF the verdict of America in this
matter than | have of the blood that
as in me-"
| Then he subtly questioned whether they
as representing the people, were with hin
in this fight BY saying: Il have come bael
| to say. TO You that | have tried in al
soberness and honesty TO speak YOU
thought The applause leaped into thun
der before the words were fairly out o
his mouth, and no cheer leader could hay'
done more than be lost in the crush.
The President, when he returns from
Paris the second time, is going to max
a swinging tour of the country Thi
speech was the keynote, it warned tn,
| opposition what TO expect, and was in
tended so TO warn them
j Two kinds of friends of his have beel
at work upon him, both by cable an,
since he landed, trying to get him to b
i warEke or judicial, according to thei
preferences. The Presidents speech wa
extemporaneous, so that there was ever
chance to change it up to the last mo
Iment. He took his stand definitely wit
/ the warlike element. He is reused, an
his swing around the circle will be moth
ing judicial. 1t will be, not : progress
but a campaign, the campaigning of
man sure of himself and fighting TIL
United States senate has had experienc
before of what that means