Republican farmer., 1919-03-07
TEXT OF THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH

benefit of mankind; it was set to illustrate the highest Ideals and to achieve the highest aspirf- the world of today.-beIieves that and despair if deserted
 have tried once and again. my feuow-citizens, 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 crowd it. self into speech the profound emotion of the thing is too much; speech will not carry l have felt the tragedy or the hope of those suffering peoples
 It is tragedy because it is hope which cannot be realized in its perfection and yet I have felt besides US tragedy It's coInpuslon-lls conpuIsloh upon every living to exercise every influence that he has to the utmost to that little sloIe or that hope is disappointed because Ii men cannot after this agony of b,5ody to their selfpossesston and how regulate the aLIars ol the world we will sink back into period of struggle in which there will be hope, and Lnefe Is no hope for why should you spare another If you yourself expect to perish? Why should you be Piuful if you can get no pity? Why should you be just if, upon every hand, you are put upon2
 Critics Ignore Soldiers Spirit
 of this covenant have not observed. They not only have not observed the temper of the world, but they did boys in khaki that they sent across the seas have had the proud consciousness of the reflected me s[,la Iegs1L- " yt-,lg, VIC r ,'+ % [+6 S tI,, yr i into the basis declarations which 1t was privilege utter, because I believed them to be an interpretation of the purpose and thought of the people the United States. those boys went there with the feeling that they sacredly bound to the realization of those ideaIs that they were only going O beat many; they were not going over there merely with resentment in their hearts against particular out law nation; but that they crossing those three thousand miles of sea in order to show to Europe that the United States when it became necessary would go anywhere where the rights of mankind were threatened. They would not sit still in the ,reheIes Iley would not be restrained py the pru- dence of experienced continental commanders. ley thought they had come there to do a particu- lar hins and they were going to do it and do it at once And just as soon that rush of spirit ued break until the end. They continued break cal force of those youngsters but because of the Irresistible spiritual the armies the that awed them It that that made them feel if these youngsters ever got foothoId they could of ground that they won was permanently won for the liberty of mankind
 And do you suppose that having felt that cru there not to gIorfy America but to serve their fellow I going permit myself for one moment to siacken in effort to be worthy of them and of their. cause? What I said the opening ] said with a deeper meaning than perhaps you have caught do mean not to come back until it's over over there, and it must not be until the tons Of the world are assured of the permanency of
 Gentlemen this side of the water would be very much profted by getting into comm unication tl on 'i's Sl9 llLe va ter we sometimes tAlhh my fellow cltzens, that the experienced statesmen of the European nations unusually hard-head ded set of men, by which we generally mean although we do not admit it. that they bit cynical, they say This that it is not ideal world; that they Heve that things be settled upon an ideal basis
 
 +t+ % % ,r{ ~ , lo p7 ] ,L,au wax lLey stFe 4 t hot of recent events and the awful importance of what is to ensue: and there is not one of them with whom I have in contact who that he cannot in conscience return to his people from Paris unless he has done his do metning more than attach his a treaty 0 peace. Evercy man in that Conference knows that the treaty peace itself will inoperative. as MT Taft has said without this constant support energy of a great organization such is supplied by the League of Nations
 And vho when I first went over there were septical of the possibility of forming League of Nations admitted that if we could but form it it would be an invaluable instrumentalty through which to secure the operation of the various gentlemen this side will find the covenant not only in it, but many threads of the treaty to the covenant that you cannot dssect the covenant from the treaty without destroying whole vital ,.tt me or peace VIII not be wal to bring back cadaver with him.
 Puzzled by Some Criticisms
 I must say that I puzzled by some O the criticfsms-not by criticisms themselves; I understand them perfectly, when there was no foundation for the but by the fact of the crii cism. cannot imagine how these gentlemen can live and not live in the atmosphere of t-le world, cannot imagine now they can live and not he in events O their times and I barti- cularIy imagine how they Americans and set up doctrine of careful selfishness thought to the last details I have heard counsel O generosity in their criticism. I have heard StructlVe suggestion have heard nothing except will it not be dangerous to to help the world 9" It would be fatal to us not not to help it.
 famous and the most powerful nation world "0 'tIu OL e nave DeCOIIle the most con temptible. I did o be told, as I have been told that the people Of the United support this covenant American and I knew they would. What revenge it upon the world They laughed at once. they thought we did not mean our professions of principle. They thought until April of 1917. hardly credi- ble to them that would do than few over and through the forms Of helping and when they saw nuhtudes hastenng across the sea, and what those nultitudes eager to do when they the other side, they at amaze and said: '@fhe thing is real, this nation the friend of mankind it said it was" The enthusi- asn, the hope the trust, the confidence in the fu- bred by that change of view indascribabIe. Take individual American and you may often find selfish, his special inter- ests; but take the American the and he is