The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-05


do t" end 1t. if we do u"; do tho best
that human concert Of a"tlUn can d"
{" "nd 1t. W. arc 0f, all m"n. III" most
tho most UNfaI:htUl - the
loving hearts VIII" suffered IN this war:
I'll" most un:aithfEi [" those households
bowed III grief: Yet iifi'I with TIA" fcrl-
ing that tho lad laid l0wn hls life for
a great thing. among Other things in or
dor that other lads Nigh; not have to
10 III" Same :hinG.
That II what III" League 0f Nations
Is for. :" end this war Justly. aud il is
not merely to scrv" motto" on govern
mcnts which would cnntcmrlo.," tho
same things- which Germany C"pt"U'-
plated. that they will do II at their peril.
but also concerning tho combination Of
power which will rr"vc To them that
they will do it at their peril II is idl"
to say the world will combine against
you because il may not. but II is per
suasive 10 say the world iS combined
against you and will remain combined
against any who attempt tho sam"
things that you n tempted.
Tho League Of Nations Is tho Only
thing that can prevent tho recurrence
ct this dreadful catastrophe and rH-
deem our promises. And tho character
riencc OF this very war.
II did not mcct 4 single public man
who did not admit thrs" things that
Germany would not have sonc into this
war II she had Thought Great I;rita;n
was going into It and that she most cor
tainly would never have gone into this
war II :h" had dreamed America WAS
going into il. and they have III admit
tod that notice beforehand that tho
greatest powers of the world would
combine to prevent this sort Of thing.
It would have prevented il absolutely.
"Wh>n gentlemen tell you. therefore.
that tho League OF Nations is intended
for s>,nc other purpose than this moro
" this To them: If VIC do dot do this
things We have neglected III" central
covenant that we mad" 10 our nno pie
and there will ho no statesman OF any
country who can thereafter sromisc his
people and allcviation from the perils
of war.
Tho passions Of this world arc not
dad: tho rtvalrica Of this world hav"
not cooled: they hav" boon rendered hot
ter than ever. Tho harness that is TO
unite nations is moro necessary now
than It over was before. and unless
there is this surcncss OF combined ac-
will be attempted just as soon as the
most ambitious nation can recover from
tho financial stress Of this war.
Vow look what else is in tho treaty.
This treaty is unique in the history OF
mankind because the center OF it is the
redemption OF weak nations. There
never was a congress OF nations before
that considered the rights Of those who
hnir ri ri
never was n congress Of nations before
that IL did not seek to affect some bal
ancc Of power brought about by means
Of serving the strength and interest OF
the strongest powers concerned, whore
as this treaty builds up nations that
never could have won their freedom in
any Other way. 1t builds them up oy
gift. by largess. not by obligation;
builds them up because OF the conric-
tion Of the men who wrote the treaty
that the rights OF people transcend tho
rights Of government. because or the
conviction Of the men who wrot" tho
treaty that tho fertile source OF war is
wrong; that the Austro-Hungarian en-
n;re for example was held together by
military force and consisted or peoples
who did not want 10 live together. VINO
did not have the spirit OF nationality as
towards each other. who were constantly
chatting at the bands that held them
Hungary though n willing partner OF
was willing TO he her partner
because sh" could share Austrias $
strength for accomplishing her own am
b;tions, and her own ambitions were 10
hold undor tho JuSo-Slavic peoples that
land south Of her. Bohemia. an unhappy
partner by durCss. flowing IN
her veins tho strongest national impulse
that was to be found anywhere in Eu-
rope and north Of that pitiful Poland a
great nation divided up among the great
rowers Il Europe torn asundcr kinship
djsr"Sardod natural tics treated with
contempt and m obligatory division
among sovorciGns imposed upon her
a rart or her givnn to Russia. n part Of
her given - Austria and Il part "t her
given to Germany and great bodies OF
Polish h'p"cIc mover permitted 70 have the
normal intercourse with their kirSncn
for fear that that fin" instinct should
assert itself which binds families to-
,;nthcr. Poland could never have won
her lndcp"ndnnco Bohemia never could
have broken away from IN" .Austr"-
u -
peoples To tho south running d"wn into
tho great Balkan pNninSular had again
and again tried to assert their national
ity and their Independence an! had ~
often beer crushed. not by III" imm"di-
ato powrr th"y were fighting hi' hy 'h"
combined powo- of F:uror,. Th" old al
liancce the old balances Of power wcr"
meant 10 SOC t. il that no litiI" nation
assorted its rights to the disturbance or
tho peace or Europe and cv"ry lin" m
aSsr Ion Of rights was attempted th"y
wcr, -,irr-creod by combined influence
and force ant this treaty tears away all
that and Gays those pcopl> hav" n right
20 live 'h.ir own lives under tn" govern
rnontS which they themselves ch""s" :"
So up That ia the American principle"
ard was glad 10 fight f"r il and whom
81 strategic considerations w"r" urged 7
said J alonc-hut II was 4 nla't"r
rf common council thar Stra'"Ci" con-
sidnratIon wore NOT in our Thought that
W" arc now arranging for fu'mr" wars
hu. wcrr giving pc"pl" what belonged 70
them.
MY follow c.tizcrs. 7 do rot 'h'"N
thore IS any man al!v" who has '""r"
tender sympathy for tho rr'9' 0""pl" 0r
Italy than | hav" and ''"T St"rn
duty waF presented - us "l'"n "" 'in
- consider Gnr,n Of ~, c'liHIs Of 1tal"
IN the Ad-!nt!c b"rau," St"a'"CiCt'lv
from N" point of view "f 'U'ur" wars.
italy needed military fu0'h0ld on IN"
r'her s!ho of nc .Ndriafjr. bat H"r f""pi"
I'D not ii"n there 'Nr""f ~ -" Sh"'S
~ was = Slavic p"oD'n a0d 7 bad - S7.v
20 MY Italian friends 'ha' "v"r! W" y
else IN this treaty v'H h7r" Ctv"'~ tH~rS
tory 70 ,hc pr rIo who lived or - arI ',
do NOT thi"t wat /. g for 'h' 7dvan 80"