Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-04
Text of Presidents
Address at Columbus

whose heads bowed in grief, yet
lifted with the feeling that the lad
laid down. his life for great thing,
among other things. in order that
other lads might not have to do the
same thing.
Purpose OF the League.
That is what the League Of Nations
Is for, to end this war justly and it is
not merely to serve notice on govern
ments which would contemplate the
same things which Germany contem-
plated that they will do it at their
peril, but also concerting the combina-
ton Of power which will prove to
them that they will do it at their peril.
It is idle to say the world will COM
bine against you because it may not,
but it is persuasive to say the world
Is combined against you and will re-
main combined against any who at
tempt the same things that you at
tempted.
1.-THE League of Nations is the only
OF this dreadful catastrophe and re-
deem our promises. And the character
OF the league is based on the expert
ence of this very war.
Il did not meet a single public man
who did not admit these things, that
Germany would not have gone into
this war If she had thought Great
Britain was going into it and that she
most certainly would never have gone
into the war If she had dreamed
America was going into it, and they
have all admitted that a notice be-
forehand that the greatest powers of
the world would combine to prevent
this sort Of thing would have prevent
ed it absolutely
When gentlemen tell you, there
fore, that the League of Nations is in
tended for some other purpose than
this. merely reply this to them: If we
DO not do this thing we have neglected
the central covenant that we made to
our people, and there will be no
thereafter promise his people any
alienation from the perils Of war.
Passions Not Dead.
The passions of this world are not
dead; the rivalries of this world have
7, not cooled; they have been rendered
hotter than ever. The harness that
Is to unite nations is more necessary
now than it ever was before and un-
| less there is this sureness of combined
action before any wrong is attempted,
| wrong will be attempted just as soon
as the most ambitious nations can
recover from the financial stress of
this war.
Now look, what else is in the
treaty? This treaty is unique in the
history Of mankind because the CEN
ter of it is the redemption of weak
nations There never was a congress
OF nations before that considered the
rights OF those who could not enforce
their rights. There never was a con-
gress Of nations before that did not
seek to effect some balance of power
! Drought about by means Of serving
the strength and interest of the
strongest powers concerned, whereas
this treaty builds up nations that
never could have won their freedom
| in any other way. 1t builds them up
]! ~ Sft: by largess, not by obligations;
builds them up because Of the con-
! treaty HAT the 81 i,ts q peopie % tran an
scehd the rightssof governments, be-
cause of the conviction OF the men
who wrote that treatysthat the fertile
source OF war is wrosa.; that the Aus
was held together by military force
and consisted of peoples who did not
want to live together; who did not
have the spirit Of nationality as to-
wards each other; who were constant
~ chatting at the hands that held
] them. Hungary though willing
partner Of Austria, was willing to be
/
| Austria's strength for accomplishing
her own ambitions and her own am
bitions were to hold under the Jugo-
Slavic peoples to the south of her. Bo-
| hemia, an unhappy partner-a part
ner by duress, flowing in all her veins
the strongest national impulse that
was to be found anywhere in Europe,
and north of that pitiful Poland, a
| great nation divided up among the
great powers of Europe, torn asunder
|-kinship disregarded, natural ties
treated with contempt and an obliga-
tory division among sovereigns i'm
posed upon her, part of her given
! to Russia, part of her given to Aus
| tria and part Of her given to Ger
pie never permitted to have the nor
NAL intercourse with their kinsman
for fear that fine instinct of the heart
| should assert itself which bind fami-
| lies together. Poland could never
have won her independence Bo-
hemia never could have broken away
| from the eAustro-Hungarian combina-
| ton. The Slavic peoples to the south
| running down into the great Balkan
| peninsula had again and again tried
| to assert their nationality and their
independence and had as often been
crushed, not by the immediate power
they were fighting but by Hne COM
| bined power Of Europe. The old alli-
ances, the old balances of power were
| meant to see to it that no little nation
| asserted its rights to the disturbance
Of the peace of Europe and every
time an assertion Of rights was at
tempted they were suppressed by
combined influence and force and this
treaty tears away all that and says
these people have right to live their
own lives under the governments
which they themselves choose to set
| up. That is the American principle
| and I was glad to fight for it and
when strategic considerations were
urged said-not alone-but it was
strategic considerations were not in
ranging for future wars but were Civ
ing people what belonged to them.
Sympathy for Italy.
Ny fellow citizens, I do not think
there Is any man alive who has a
more tender sympathy for the great
people Of Italy than I have, and a
very stern duty was presented to US
when we had to consider some Of the
claims Of Italy on the Adriatip be-
cause strategicaliy from the point OF
view Of future wars Italy needed .
military foothold en- the other side of
the Adriatic, but her people did not
live there except in little spots. 1t
was Slavic people. and had to say
to my Italian friends that everywhere
else in this treaty We have given ter
ritory to the people who lived on it
and I do not think that 1t Is for the
advantage of Italy and am sure 1t is