Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-09

Continued from Page one.)
mediately under the spell OF the
president Read in cold type how
ever, as the great majority Of
Americans are getting the speeches,
the ultimate impression is certain
ly not a good one judging from the
effects to be found in Omaha Of the
remarks made by Mr.. Wilson on the
days preceding.
Expression Piease.
The president himself comes in
for much praise as the crowd files
out. l overheard many Of the pass
ing remarks. What wonderful
English, what a magnificent flow of
language-how easily he talks" On
the faces of his auditors, too, are
smiles as occasionally the presi-
dent uses vernacular phrase.
They seem pleased to learn that the
man whom they had grown to be-
lieVe was a recluse knows the
phrases of poker or the slang of
colloquial speech. They are fat
tered as he says Il owe a report of
what did only to you" And they
Cheer him to the echo when he ex-
claims: Il would consider myself
recreant to every mother and
father, every wife and sweetheart
in this country. if l consented to
the ending of this war without a
guarantee that there would be no
other"
But they look on with a sort of
impressed wonder as Mr.. Wilson
with dramatic touch declares: IF
/ felt that I personally in any way
stood in the way of this settlement
/ would gladly die that it might be
consummated, because l have a
vision that if this thing should by
some mishap not be accomplished,
there would rest forever upon the
fair name of this people a stain
which could never be effaced."
One would think that emotional
appeal of this sort would stir men
to outbursts Of fervent approval.
Certainly Mr. Wilson's oratorical
PR%ers are extraordinary. But it
seems as if there is a natural re-
action nowadays to all patriotic
appeal. Perhaps it was the war
with it's plethora of liberty loans
speeches and exhortations to sac
rifice but the old Fourth of July
stuff doesn't get the Calling gun ap-
plause it used to get. And while
men and women leave the halls
convinced that Mr.. Wilson is work
ing for a great and good cause,
they do not Immediately perceive
the difference between mild reser-
vationists" and unqualified sup
porters Of the covenant and they
are not bestirred to go out and
worry over the possible fall of the
republic if some senators insist on
reservations which the president
himself claims are merely a
change in language but not in
meaning.
Issue Not Clear.
Mr.. Wilson hasn't defined very
clearly the issue as between him !
self and those who disagree with |
him except as to the extremists who |
want to defeat the whole treaty and |
with that group there is not a !
shred of sympathy except among |
the professional Irish and others !
who are being worked up to fever |
heat of opposition by big pages of
With the extreme opponents, one
finds no patience. With the delay |
in handling the treaty, one finds |
SIMILAR irritation. But the apathy |
toward Mr.. Wilson appears to be !
due to much more vital interest in |
problems as we'll as an !
absolute agreement with what has |
seemed to the majority of people of !
this section obvious from the !
start, and therefore not worth ar
guing about; namely the creation |
of an international concert of power /
to make Germany behave and pre- !
vent another world war.