Evening journal., 1919-03-05
WILSON AGAIN FAILS TO
DEFINE NATIONS LEAGUE

NNA " hth Hl'Ah AANhhF
Private organizations, plying
hearts. phllanthroplc men and wo-
men have poured out their treas
iire IN order 10 relieve these suffer
iugs, but no nation has said 10 the
nations responsible: "N0u must
stop: this thing Is iniolerable,
and we will not permit" and the
vision has been With the people
How lie Views Critics.
My friends, I wish you would
reflect upon this proposition. The
vision as % what is necessary Tor
great reforms has seldom come from
the top in the nations Of the world.
II has come from the need and The
aspiration and the self-asscrtiou or
great bodies OF men who meant to
be free, aud / can explain some ot
the criticisms which have been lev
eled against This great enterprise
only by the supposition mat the
men who utter the criticisms have
never felt the great pulse or the
heart OF the world.
And am amazed-nOt Alarmed
but amazed-that there should be
in some quarters such a compre-
hensiNe ignorance Of the state OF
the world. These gentlemen DO not
know what the mind OF man j.
lust now. Everybody else docs.
I do not know where they have
been clOseted. but ] do know by
what Influences they have been
blinded: but !. do know that they
have been separated from the gen
ersl currents OF the thoughts NJ
mankind.
Md ] want 10 utter this solemn
warning not in the way ~
threat: the forces 81 the world DO
not threaten. they operate. The Sresi
tides ~ the world do not give notice
that they are going 20 rise and run;
they rise in their majesty and over
whelming might, and those wlo
stand IN the way are OVerwholmed.
Worlds Heart Awake.
Now the heart Of the World j.
awake. and the heart Of the woriii
must be satisfied. DO not let your
selves suppose for a moment that
the uneasiness in the populations
OF Europe is due entirely 10 eco
nomic causes or economic motives;
something very much deeper un-
derlies it all than that.
They see that their governments
have never been able 10 defend
them against intrigue or aggres-
sion and that there is no force of
Foresight or Of prudence in any
modern cabinet to stop war.
And therefore they say: There
must he some fundamental cause
for this" and the fundamental
cause they are beginning to per-
ceive 20 be that nations have stood
single or in little jealous groups
against each other. fostering pre1u-
dice increasing the danger Of war,
rather than concerning measures 10
prevent 10; and that II there Is
right In the world. II there Is jus
tice n the world. there is no rea-
son why nations should be divided
in the support OF justice.
They are therefore saying n you
really believe that there Is a right,
IL YOU really believe that wars
ought to be stopped, stop thinking
about the rival interests OF nations
and think about men and women
and children throughout the world.
The Destiny OF Nations.
Nations are not made 70 AFFORD
distinction TO their rulers by way
OF success in the maneuvres OF pol
itics: nations are meant, IL they arc
meant for anything. 10 make the
men and women and children In
them secure and hsppy ami pros
porous. and no nation has the right
10 set up It's special interests
against the interests and Dement'S
Of mankind. least OF all this sreat
nation which we love.
u was set up for the benefit Of
mankind: II was set up TO illustrate
the highest ideals and to achieve
the highest aspirations OF men who
wanted TO be free; and the world
the world Of today believes that
and counts on us. and would be
thrown back into the blackness or
despair II we deserted It.
have tried once and again. my
fellow citizens. TO say 10 little
circles Of friends OF 10 larger bodies
what seems to be the real hope OF
the peoples of Europe. and ! tell
YOU frankly ! have not been able
to do because when the thought
tries to crowd itself into speech the
profound emotion Of the thing is
too much: speech will not carry.
have felt the tragedy OF the hope of
those suffering peoples.
It Is tragedy because Il is a hope
which cannot be realized in its
perfection. and yet ] have felt be-
sides It's tragedy. its compulsion.
its compulsion upon every llving
man to exercise every influence that
he has TO the utmost 10 see that as
little as possible OF that hope Is
disappointed. because IL men can
not now. after this agony Of bloody
sweat, come TO their self-possession
and see how 10 regulate the affairs
Of the world, we VIII sink back into
a period of struggle IN which there
viii be no hope, and, therefore, no
mercy.
The Soldiers Temper.
There can be no mercy where
there Is no hope. for why should
you spare another II you yourself
expect TO perish Why should you
be pitlful II you can set no pity
Why should you be just II upon
every hand you are put upon7
There Is another thing which l
think the critics Of this covenant
have not observed. They not only
have not observed the temper Of
the world. but they have not even
observed the temper Of those splen-
did boys in khaki that they cent
across the seas. have had the
proud consciousness Of the re-
Elected glory OF those boys. because
the constitution made by their