Norwich bulletin., 1919-03-05


1T is tragedy because it is a hope |
which cannot be realized in it's per-
fection, and yet 1 have felt besides
its tragedy, its compulsion, its com
pulslon upon every nvIng man to ex
ercise every influence that he has to
the utmost to see that as little as
possible of that hope is disappointed
because if men cannot now, after this
agony OF bloody sweat come to their
self possession and see how to reg
ulate the affairs of the world we will
sink back into a period of struggle
in which there will be no hope, and
no mercy, where there is no hope, for
why should you spare another il
you yourself expect to perish. Why
should you be pitiful if you can get
no pity? Why should you be pitifuI
if you can get no pity? Why should
you be just if, upon every hand, you
are put upon
There is another thing which I
think the critics of this covenant
have not observed. They not only
have not observed the temper of the
world, but they have not even OBJ
served the temper of those splendid
boys il khaki that they sent across
the seas. L have had the proud con-
sciousness of the reflected glory of
those boys, because the constitution
made me their commander chief
and they have taught me some les
sons. When we went into the war
we went into it on the basis of dec.
larations which it was my privilege
to utter, because l believed them to
be an Interpretation of the purpose
and thought of the people of the
United States.
And those hovs went over there
with the feeling that thoy were
credIy .DOuI4O. - t44G IedIazation OF
those ideal; that they were not only
going over there to beat Germany;
they were not going over there mere
ly with resentment in their hearts
against particular outlaw nation;
but that they were crossing those
three thousand miles of sea in order
to show 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
| trenches. They would not be re-
strained by the prudence ot expert
enced continental commanders. They
| thought they had come over there to
do a particular thing, and they were
| going to do it and do it at once. And
}
| well as rush of body came in con-
| tact with the lines of the enemy, they
| began to break, and they continued to
| break until the end. Tney continued
| 10 break, my fellow citizens, not mere
! ly because of the physical force of
| those lusty youngsters. but because
of the irresistible ,spiritua force of
, the armies of the United States. II
was that they felt. 1t was that that
awed them. 1t was that made them
feel, if these youngsters ever got
| a foothold, they coui1 never be dis
| lodged and therefore every foot of
ground that the won was permanent
ly won for the liberty of mankind.
And do you suppose that having
felt that crusading spirit of these
| youngsters, who went over there not
! to glorify A-o''-'-' t' 9erye their
fellow men, am going permit n
seH Tor o.le ll.~----.-- s.----.en in my
effort to be worthy Of them and thei,
! cause? What l said at the opening
/ | said with a deepea meaning than
perhaps you have caught; I do near
not to come back until it's over ovel
there and it must not be over unit
the nations of he world are assured
of he permanency of peace.
Gentlemen on this side of tbs
water would be very much profited bJ
getting into communication with
some gentlemen on the other side O.
the water. We sometimes think, my
fellow citizens, that the experienced
IStateSmen of the European nations are
an unusually hard headed set of men
by which we generally mean although
we do not admit it that they are {
bit cynical; that they say his is {
very practical world, by which yol
always means that it is not an idea
world; that they do not believe tha,
things can be settled upon an idea
basis. Well, l never came into init
mate contact with them before, bu
if they used to be that way, they ar,
not that way now. They have bee,
subdued. if that was once thei
temper, by the awful significance o
recent events and the awful import
ance of what is to ensue; and ther;
is not one of them with whom
, have come in contact who does no
feel that he cannot in conscience re
turn to his people from Paris unles
he has done his utmost to do some
thing more than attach his name t
treaty of peace. Every man in tha
| conference knows that the treaty o
peace in itself will be imperative, a
Mr.. Taft has said, without this con
, stant support and energy of a grea
organization such as is supplied b.
, the league of nations.
) "And men who, when I first wen
over there were skeptical of the pos
sibility of forming a league of nation
, admitted that if we could but forY
| it, it would be an invaluable instru
mentality through which to secur
the operation of the various parts c
the treaty; and when that treat
comes back gentlemen on this sid
!, will find the covenant not only in i
/; but so many threads of the treat
: tied to the covenenant that you can
not dissect the covenant from tn
:, treaty without destroying the Who'll
vital structure. The structure c
peace will not be vital without til
!, league of nations, and no man i
. going to bring back cadaver wit
!, him,
> > 81 must say that I have been pu7
2 zled by some of the criticsms-nt
!, by the criticisms themselves; 1 ca
? understand them perfectly, even whe
. there was no foundation for them
but by the fact of the criticism.
= cannot imagine how these gentleme
can live and not live in the atmo:
;, phere Of the world.
= = Il cannot imagine how they live ar
- not be in contact with the events
y the times, and 1 particularly cann'
y imagine how they can be American
u and set up a doctrine of careful Sc
~ fishness, thought out to the last d,
tail. I have heard no counsel of gel
q erosity in their criticism. I aa'
II heard no constructive suggestion.
/ have heard nothing except Will it n
e be dangerous to us to help the world
n 1t would be fatal to us not to help
From being what l will venture
10 call the most famous and the mo