Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-12
Wilson's Helena Address
Auer.c. Would fay TOT Nert War.

AueEica Would Pay fos NEXT War.
Very we'll then 1t stand to reason
II We would permit anything OF that
sort to happen again We are refreapt'
TO tho men We sent across the seas 70
light this war; we are deliberately
guilty then Of preparing q situation
w Whash saS %ill ! in ssii ayL lsss s to Th war7
Alas, my fellow citizens. It might be
the anal arrest, though I pray only
itself.
America has II I may take the
liberty OF saying SO. . greater interest
In the prevention Of that war than
any other nation. America is less ex=
hausted by war-she is not exhausted
at all-America has paid for the war
that has gone by less heavily in pro-
portion to her wealth than other ma
capital enough for it's W industries
and for the industries OF the other
countries that have to build their In
duetries anew; and the next war
would have to be paid for in Amer
loan blood and American money.
The nation. Of all nations, that II
most interested TO prevent the recur-
.ehco VI WildL mas dt1eaoy
ts the nation which would assuredly
have to bear the brunt of that great
catastrophe (applause) either have to
bear it, or stop where you r Q Who
is going to take care Of the growth of
this nation? Who is going to shape
the accumulation Of physical power
OF this nation. II you choose to put 1t
in that form7 Who is going to re-
dYce the natural resources of this
NNp,~fNp2 yTYh4 a. n4i~r IN Nto~0A
the circumstance that we largely feed
the rest Of the world? Who is going
to change the circumstance that
many of our resources are unique and
indispensable? America is going to
grow more and more powerful and
the more powerful she is, the more
inevtible II Is that she should be en-
trusted with the peace Of the world
lApplause.)
America Surprised world.
"And now at last a miracle has
happened. I dare say many Of you
have in mind the very short course
Of American history. You remember
how, wher> this nation vas born, we
were just a little group Of three mil
lion people on the Atlantic coast; how
the nations on the other side Of the
water, the statesmen of that day. re-
6QIuou uc WALL u CS1Ld4A CO11NcoScu
sjon-looked upon us as a sort of
group Of hopeful children. pleased.
for the time being, with the concep-
ton Of absolute freedom and political
liberty. Far in advance Of the other
peoples Of the world gecause less ex-
%perienced than they. less aware of
the difficulties of the great task that
through ourselves They ought to
have known; they set us the example;
~-A -vA>~ -- 1. &,,1a1i~A - %%A
letter u promise that We would set
helpless. Cuba up as an independent
government and. guarantee her indie.
pendence when we carried out that
great policy, we astounded and con-
verified the world.
Earned Confidence of World.
Then began-let me repeat the
word again-the confidence Of the
world in America; and ! want to
to you tonight that nothing was more
leagues in Paris than the evidence Of
absolute unquestionine confidence OF
the peoples OF the world in the people
of America. tApplause). We were
tonched by it-not only touched by It.
but I must admit we were frightened
by II, because we knew that they
were expecting things Of us that we
could not accomplish; we knew that
they were hoping for some miracle of
Justice which would set them forward
the same hundred years hat we have
travelled on the progress towards free
government; we knew that it was q
slow road: VI knew that you could
not transform a people from a people
of subjects into q people Of self-gov-
erning units; tried. and l perhaps
CONFRONTED them, and as the years
have gone by they have watched the
growth of this nation with astontsh-
ment. until q very interesting and
Significant thing happened. When We
they said, 'ah. it is the beginning Of
what we predicted; she will seize
Cuba, and after Cuba. what she pleas
es to the south of her; it is the be-
ginning Of the history we have gone
returned a little to my old profession
of teacher-to point u to them
that some Of the things they we're ex-
pecting Of us would not be done now:
but they refused to be disabused of
ca could do anything that was right.
for the other peoples Of the world.
An amazing thing, and what was
more interesting still, my fellow citi-
happened-1 will explain in a mo-
ment what I rnea by the word hap
pened'--It happened that America
laid down the specifications for peace;
it happened that America proposed
with Germany should bs built. l used
the word happened because I have
found, ana everybody who looked in
to the hearts Of the people Of this
country. and some of the people on
the other side of the water, have
found hat the people on the other
side of the water. whatever may be
said about their government. have
learned their lesson from America
before: and they believed in those
them and their statesmen knowing
that their people believed In them.
accepted them before the American
representatives crossed the sea. so
that we found them ready to lay down
the foundation Of that peace along
the lines that America had suggested,
and all Of Europe was aware that
what was being done was the build
ing up of American principle. We
were under a big compuleion to carry
had followed u convictions from the
first. Where did the suggestion first
come from? Where did the idea
first spread that there there should be
4 society Of nations 1t was first sug-
gested, or it frat spread In the United
States, and some. gentlemen were the
chief proponents Of it who are now
~objeoting to the adoption Of the v
nant Of the League Of Nations. They
any portion Of that covenant goas.
and now, for sonae reason which I
must admit is inscrutable to ma, they
are opposing the very thing into
which they put their heart and their
genius in building up q great organ