Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-31
WILSON'S idea OF PEACE
President Makes Great Speech to
the Peace Conference
Why AMERICA WENT into The war

Principles of Right, Justice and liber.
ty Were at Stake, and II Was or
this Account That This Country
Foueht-America Has No Ambition
or Desire to Interfere With the Poll.
tics of Other Nations.
President Wilson'S address last Fri
day, before the peace conference, was
as follows:
"Mr. Chairman consider it a dis
tingu.shed privilege to be permitted to
open the discussion in this conference
on the League of Nations. We have
assembled for two purposes; to make
the present settlements which have
been rendered necessary by this war,
and also to secure the peace Of the
world, not only by the present settle
ments, but by the arrangements we
shall make at this conference for Its
maintenance.
THE League of Nations seems to me
to be necessary for both Of these pur-
poses. There are many complicated
questions connected with the present
settlements, which perhaps cannot be
successfully worked out to an ultimate
issue by the decisions we shall arrive
at here. I can easily conceive that
many Of these settlements will need
subsequent consideration; that many
of the decisions we make shall need
subsequent alteration in some degree,
for If I may judge by my own study OF
some Of these questions they are not
susceptible for confident judgments al
present
1T is therefore necessary that we
should set up some machinery by
which the work of this conference
should be rendered complete.
I'VE have assembled here for the
purpose Of doing very much more than
making the present settlements tina,
are necessary. We are assembled un-
der very peculiar conditions Of world
opinion. may say. without strainins
the point, that we are not representa-.
tives Of governments, but representa-
tives Of peoples.
'It will not suffice to satisfy govern
mental circles anywhere. 1t is neces-
sary that we should satisfy the opinion
Of mankind.
THE burdens Of this war. have fall
en- in an unusual degree upon the
whole population Of the countries in
volved. 1 do not need to draw for you
the picture of how the burden has
beer thrown back from the front up
on the older men, upon the women
upon the children, upon the homes OF
the civilized world, and how the real
strain Of the war has come where the
eyes of the government could not
reach but where the heart Of human
ity beats.
eve are hidden by these people to
make a peace which will make them
secure. We are hidden by these people
to see to it that this strain does not
come upon them again. And venture
to say that it has been possible for
them to bear this strain because they
hoped that those who represented
them could get together after this wal
and make such another sacrifice un-
necessary.
1T is a solemn obligation On our
part, therefore, to make permanent
arrangements that justice shall be rem
dered and peace maintained.
This is the central object Of our
meeting. Settlements may be tempo
rary. but the action of the nations in
the interest of peace and justice must
be permanent. We can set up perma-
nent processes. We may not be able
to set up a permanent decision.
Therefore, it seems to me that we
must take, as far as we can, a picture
Of the world into our minds. Is it mol
a startling circumstance, for one thing
that the great discoveries Of science
that the quiet studies of men in labo-
ratories, that the thoughtful develop
ments which have taken place in QuieI
lecture rooms have now been turned
to the destruction Of civilization. The
powers Of destruction have not sc
much multiplied as they have gained
facilities.
"The enemy whom we have JUS
overcome, had at its seats Of learning
some of the principal centres of scien'
tific study and discovery, and he uset
them in order to make destruction
sudden and complete. And only the
watchful and continuous cooperation
of men can see to it that science, a:
well as armed men, is kept within the
harness Of civilization.
I'm sense the United States is les!
interested in this subject than the 9th
er nations here assembled. With hel
great territory and her extensive sea
borders, 1t is less likely that the United
States should suffer from the attack o.
enemies than that other nations shoule
suffer. And the ardor Of the United
SldleSTlOE ~ ID q NCiy NSSP eAN S>@A
uine ardor-for the society Of nation!
is not an order springing out Of fear o.
apprehension, but an ardor spring:nt
out of the ideals which have come II
the consciousness Of this war.
In coming into this war, the United
States never for a moment though
that she was intervening in the poll
tics of Europe or the politics of Asia
or the politics Of any part Of th'
world. Her thought was that all of th'
world has now become conscious
that there was a single cause of jus
tice and of liberty for men of ever!
kind and place.
Therefore, the United States shoul'
feel that its part in this war shoulc
be played in vain If there ensued upoI
it abortive European settlements. 1
would feel that it could not take par
in guaranteeing those European settle
ments unless that guarantee involved
the continuous superintendent Of tn