South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-05
No Party Can Appropriate League Issue,
No Party Dare Oppose 1t" Wilson Says

would support this covenant. 1 am
an American and I know they would.
Sweet Revenge Upon World.
What a sweet revenge IT is upon
the world They laughed at US
once; they thought we did not mean
our professions OF principles They
thought so until April OF 1917. 1t
was hardly creditable TO them that
We would do more than send a few
men over and go through the forms
of helping, and when they saw multi
tudes Fastening across the sea and
saw what these multitudes were
eager 10 do when they got TO the
other side, they stood amazed and
said The thing is real, this nation
is the friend of mankind as it said
1t was. The enthusiasm, the hope
the trust. the confidence in the fu-
ture bred by that change of view is
indescribable.
| Take an individual American and
you may often find him selfish and
confined TO his special interests; but
take the American in the mass and
ne is willing TO die for an idea. The
sweet revenge, therefore is this, that
we believed in righteousness. and
now we are ready 10 make the SUI
| preme sacrifice for il, the supreme
sacrifice Of throwing in our for
tunes with the fortunes Of men ev-
: erywhere. Mr.. Taft was speaking of
Washington's utterance about en-
tanging alliances and if he will per
NIT me to say so. he put the exactly
right Interpretation upon what Wash
lngtoP said, the Interpretation that
IS inevitable IL you read what he
said as most of these gentlemen do
not, and the thing that he longed for
was just what we are now about to
supply an arrangement which will
disentangle all the alliances in the
world.
What Binds q Nation.
Nothing entangles. nothing en-
meshes man except a selfish COM
bination with somebody else. Moth
ing entangles a nation, hampers il.
Dlnds 1t, except to enter into a com
bination with some other nation
against the other nations of the
world. And this great disentangle-
ment of all alliances is now to be
accomplished by this covenant. be-
cause one of the covenants is that no
nation shall enter into relationship
with another nation inconsistent with
the covenants of the league of ma
tiOns.
Nations promise not TO have al
liances. Nations promise not to make
combinations against each other; ma
tons agree that there shall be but
one combination and that is the
combination of all against the
wrong doer. And so 1 am going back
to my task on the other side with
renewed vigor. I had not forgotten
what the spirit of the American peo-
pie is, but l have been immensely
refreshed by coming in contact with
1t again. ] did not know how good
home felt until l got there.
What are we to say about the flu
ture? I think, my fellow citizens.
that we can look forward TO il with
great confidence. 1 have heard cheer
ing news since I came to this side
Of the water about the progress that
Is being made in Paris toward the
discussion and Qualification of
great many difficult matters; and l
believe that settlements will begin
to be made rather rapidly from this
: time or at the conferences.
But what 1 believe. what I know
as well as believe is this: That the
men engaged in these conferences
|, are gathering heart as they go, not
!, losing it; that they are finding COM
munity of purpose and community Of
ideal TO an extent that perhaps they
! did not expect; and that amidst all
the interplay Of influence. because
It is infinitely complicated, amidst
all the interplay of influence, there
is a forward movement which is
running toward the right. .
A Petition from Soldiers.
when was in Italy, little limp
ing group Of wounded Italian SOL
diers sought an interview with me
: could not conjecture what it was
they were going TO say 10 me, and
with the greatest simplicity, with a
touching simplicity, they presented
me with a petition in favor OF the
. league Of nations. Their wounded
; limbs. their impaired vitality were
the only argument they brought with
them. II was a simple request that
lend all the influence that 1 might
happen TO have TO relieve future
generations Of the sacrifices that
they had been obliged to make.
THAT appeal has remained in my
mind as 1 have ridden along the
streets in European capitols. and
heard cries of the crowd. cries for
the league Of nations from lips of
people, who / venture 10 say had
no particular notion Of how it was
TO be done, who were not ready 10
propose a plan for a league of ma
tions. but whose hearts said that
something by way OF a combination
OF all men everywhere must come
out OF this.
ut is inconceivable that we should
I disappoint them and we shall not.
The day will come when men in
r America will look back with swelling
hearts and rising pride that they
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