New Britain herald., 1919-03-05


&c.. I+. , - A. STvgIgft Know how desirable
III 7tlfe Fight and the righteous. The
nations that have long been under
tfes heel of the Austrian, that
have long covered before the
German, that have long suffered
the indesccri able agonies of be-
ing governed by the Turk have
called out to the world, generation
after generation, for justice, for
liberation, for succor; and no cabinet
YIN the world has heard them. Private
orga nizations, plying hearts, philan-
thropic men and women have poured
out their treasure in order to relieve
these sufferings; but no nation has
said to the nations responsible. ~ on
must stop; this thing is intolerable
and we will not permit it And the
vision has been with the people. My
friends, ] wish you would reflect upon
this proposition: The vision as to
what is necessary for great reforms
has seldom come from the top in the
nations of the world. 1t has come
from the need and the aspiration and
the self-assertion of great bodies Of
men who meant to be free. And /
can explain some of the criticisms
which have been leveled against this
great enterprise only by the sup
position that the men who utter the
criticism have never felt the great
pulse of the heart of the world.
Amazed at Ignorance of Opponents.
And 7 am amazed-not alarmed.
but amazed---that there should be in
some quarters such a comprehensive
Ignorance of the state of the world.
These gentlemen do not know what
1,a Of iS
body else does. I do not know where
they have been closeted, I do not
know by what Influences they have
been blinded; but | do know that
they have been separated from the
general currents of the thoughts Of
mankind.
And | want to utter this solemn
warning, not in the way of a threat:
the forces of the world do not
threaten, they operate. The great
tides of the world do not give notice
that they are going to rise and run;
they rise in their majesty and over
whelming might, and those who stand
in the way are overwhelmed. Now
the heart of the world is awake, and
the heart of the world must be salts
fed. DO not let yourselves suppose
for Il moment that the uneasiness in
entirely to economic causes or econ
omic motives; something very much
deeper underlies it all than that.
They see that their governments have
never been able to defend them against
intrigue or aggression, and that there
is no force Of foresight or of pru-
dence in any modern cabinet to stop
war. And therefore they say, "There
must be some funda mental cause for
this" and the fundamental cause they
are beginning to perceive to be that
nations have stood Singly or i'll little
jealous groups against each other,
fostering prejudice, increasing the
danger of war rather than concerning
measures to prevent it; and that if
there is right in the world, If there is
Justice in the world, there is no reason
why nations should be divided in the
support of justice.
They are therefore saying if YOU
really believe that there is right, if
you really believe that wars ought to
be stopped, stop thinking about the
rival interests Of nations. and think
about men and women and children
throughout the world. Nations are
not made to afford distinction to their
rulers by way of success in the ma
if they are meant for anything, to
make the men and women and chill
dren in them secure and happy and
prosperous and no nation has the
right to set up it's special interests
against the interests and benefits of
mankind, least of all this great nation
which we love. 1t was set up for the
benefit of mankind; it was set up to
illustrate the highest ideals and to
achieve the highest aspirations of men
who wanted to be free; and the world
the world of today-believes that
and counts on us, and would be
thrown back into the blackness of
despair if VIC deserted it.
I have, tried once and again, nv
fellow citizens, to say to little circles
of friends or to larger bodies what
seems to be the real hope of the peo-
pies Of Europe, and / tell you frankly
/ have not been able to do Sc because