The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-26


 United States-for it is very deep and genuine ardor-for the society of nations is not an ardor springing out of fear or apprehension, but an ardor springing out of the ideals which have come in the consciousness of this war.
 ''In coming into this war the United States never for moment thought that she was intervening in the politics of Europe or the politics of Asia, or the politics of any part of the world. Her thought was that all the world had now become conscious that there was a sim gle cause of justice and of liberty for men of every kind and place.
 Therefore, the United States should feel that it's part in this war, should be played in vain if there ensued upon it ahortive European settlements. It would feel that it could not take part in guar anteeing those European settlements un- less that guarantee involved the con- tinuous superintendence of the peace of the world by the associated nations of the world.
 MUST BE VITAL
 Therefore. it seems, to me that we must concern our best judgment in order to make this league of nations a vital thing-a thing sometimes called into life to meet an exigency-but always func tioning in watchful attendance upon the interests of the nations, and that it's continuity should be a vital continuity, that it's functions are continuing func- tions that do not permit an intermission of it's watchfulnes and of its labor; that it should be the eye of nations. to keep watch upon the common interest-an eye that did not slumber, an eye that wasl every where watchful and atten- tive.
 And if we do not make it vital, what shall we do? We shall disappoint the expectations of the peoples. This IS what their thought centers upon. q had the very delightful experience of visiting several nations since I came to this side of the water, and every time the voice of the body of the people reached me, through any representative at the front of the plea stood the hope of the league of nations.
 Gentlemen, the select classes of man. 1 kind are no longer the governors of man. kind. The fortunes of mankind are now in the hands of the plain people of the whole world. Satisfy them, and you have justified their confidence not only, but have established peace Fail to satisfy theSn, and 70 arrangement that you can mate will either set up or study the peace of the world.
 REAL kE1NOIE You can imagine, dare say, the sem I timents and the purpose with which the representatives of the united States SUD- port this great project for league o1 nations. We regard it as the keynote I of the whole, which expressed our pur- poses, our ideals in this war, and which 1 the associated nations have accepted as | the basis of settlement
 "If we return to the United States | without having made every effort in oui power to realize this programme, we should return 10 meet the merited SCOTT of our fellow citizens. For they are | body that constitute a great democracy They expect their leaders to speak; theil I representatives to be their servants. /; '.We have no choice but to obey their
 mandate. But it is with the greatest enthusiasm and pleasure that We ac- 1 cept that mandate. And because this | is the keynote of the whole fabric, we have pledged our every purpose to II as we have to every item of the fabric I We would not dare abate single | item of the programme which consti- tutes our instructions; we would nol ! dare to compromise upon any matter as the champion of this thing-thi: peacd of the world. this attitude oi 1 justice this principle that we are the masters of no peoples. but are here te see that every people in the work shall choose it's own masters and gov l ern it's own destinies not as we wish i but as they wish.
 1 TO DESTROY FOUNDATIONS We are here to see. in short. thai I the very foundations of this war arc swept away. Those foundations were \ the private choice of small coterie o1
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