Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-01-30
In Opening Debate He Asserts
conferees Are Represent
atives Of Peoples"
SELECT CLASSES NO LONGER
RULE, SAYS EXECUTIVE.

1--WE Can Set Up Permanent Processes,
Not Permanent Decision" 10 Speak
er's esllsf-wifh American Soldier.
He 10 "crusader Ia q Great Cause
and Must Attain End at Any Cost.
Paris, Jan. 27-The following IL
President Wilson's address on the
league Of nations, delivered before the
peace conference Saturday:
Mr.. Chairman: I consider 1t dis
tinguished 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. can easily conceive that
many Of these settlements will need
subsequent alteration in some degree,
for If I may Judge by my own study Of
some of these questions they are not
susceptible to confident judgments at
present.
It is therefore necessary that we
should set up some machinery by which
the work of this conference should be
rendered complete.
Representatives Of Peoples.
We have assembled here for the pur-
pose Of doing very much more than
making the present settlements that
are necessary. We are assembled under
very peculiar conditions of world
opinion. l may say, without straining
the point, that we are not the repre-
sentatives of governments, but repre-
sentatives of the peoples.
It will not suffice to satisfy govern
ment circles anywhere. 1t Is necessary
that we should satisfy the opinion of
mankind. ~
The burdens of this war have fallen
in an unusual degree upon the whole
population of the countries involved.
do not need to draw for you the pic
ture Of how the burden has been
thrown back from the front upon the
older men, upon the women, upon the
children, upon the homes of the civil
lied world, and how the real strain of
"a hoe <ho nj
the government could not reach, but
where the heart of humanity beats.
+ We are hidden by these people to
make q peace which will make them
secure. We are hidden by them 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 war and make
such another sacrifice unnecessary. :.
Must Maintain Peace.
This is a solemn obligation on our
part, therefore, to make permanent
arrangements that justice shall be
rendered and peace maintained.
This is the central object of our
ary, 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 permanent decision.
Therefore, 1t seems to me that we
must take as far as we can picture Of
the world into our minds. Is it not q
startling circumstance, for one thing,
that the great discoveries of science,
that the quiet studies of men in lab
oratories, that the thoughtful develop.
ments which have taken place in quiet
lecture rooms, have now been turned to
the destruction of civilization? The
powers of destruction have not. so
much multiplied as they have gained
facilities.
The enemy, whom we have Just
overcome, had at his seats of learning
some of the principal centers Of scien.
tific study and discovery, and he used
them In order to make destruction
sudden and complete. And only the
watchful and continuous cooperation
Of men can see to it that science, as
well as armed men, is kept within the
harness Of civilization.
In q sense, the United States is less
interested in this subject than the
other nations here assembled. With
her great territory and her extensive
sea borders, 1t is less likely that the
United States should suffer from the
attack Of enemies than the other
nations should suffer. And the ardol
Of the United States-for it is a very
deep and genuine ardorfor the
sncintv Of nations In NOT an -arf1nv
springing out of fear or apprehension
but an ardor springing from the ideals
which have come in the consciousness
In coming into this war the Unitet
States never for a moment though
that she was intervening in the politics
ss>~~~~~~~.e.,>> >e.>~~~~~>>er>e
pstrarch and Laura.
Petrarch's romance with Laura 1
one Of the curiosities OF literature
He hrst saw her on Good Friday, Apri
II -