Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-03-12

Freedoms Fight.
New York, March 5.-On the eve of
his return to Paris President Wilson
told an audience of 5000 persons in
the Metropolitan opera house that he
was convinced that the majority of the
people were in favor Of the league of
nations
His opening assertion, 81 won't come
back till it's over, over there" won
the approval of his hearers.
There was deafening applause at the
conclusion of the speech when the
president, speaking of the aims of the
conference, said:
God give US the strength and vision
to do it wisely God give US the priv
ilege of knowing that we did it with
out counting the cost and mecause we
were true Americans, lovers of liberty
and of the right"
Mr.. Taft, in his speech, indorsed the
presidents plans for a league Of ma
lions. The practicability of the pro-
Taft. The boycott, he asserted, would
be an effective weapon against any
nation refusing to abide by decisions
of the league.
The Monroe doctrine Mr.. Taft said
had been subjected to many varying
interpretations.
Il have no objection to putting into
the covenant of the league Il reserva-
ton as to the Monroe doctrine if we
can only find out what it is"
What the President Said.
The band struck up cover There
as the president stepped forward to
speak.
My fellow citizens, 1 accept the in
timation of the air just played; l will
not come back Till it's over, over
there (Applause) And yet I pray
God in the interests of peace and of
the world that that may be soon. Cap
plause) The first thing I am going
to tell the people on the other side of
the water is that an overwhelming
majority of the American people is in
favor Of the league of nations. Cap
plause.) Iknow that that is true. I
have had unmistakable intimations of
it from all parts of the country and
the voice rings true in every case. /
account myself fortunate to speak here
under the unusual circumstances of
this evening. 1 am happy to associate
myself with Mr.. Taft in this great
cause. (Applause) He has displayed
an elevation of view and a devotion to
.ublic duty which is beyond praise.
(ApplauSe.) And / am the more happy
because this means that this is not a
party issue. (Applause) No party
has the right to appropriate this issue
and no party will in the long run dare
oppose it. (Applause.)
1--WE have listened to so clear and
admirable an exposition of many of
the main features of the proposed COW
enant of the league of nations that
it is perhaps not necessary for me to
discuss in any particular way the con-
tents of the document. l will seek
rather to give you its setting. l do
not know when 1 have been more i'm
pressed than by the conferences of the
commission set up by the conference
of peace to draw up a covenant for
the league of nations. The represent
atives of fourteen nations sat around
that board-not young men, not men
inexperienced in the affairs of their
own countries not men inexperienced
IN the politics of the woodland the in
spring influence of every meeting was
the concurrence of purpose on the part
Of all those men to come to an agree
ment and an effective working agree
ment with regard to this league of the
civilized world There was a convic-
ton in the whole impulse. There was
conviction of more than one sort.
There was the conviction that this
thing ought TO be done, and there was
there would venture to go home and
say that he had not tried to do it.
"We have been hearing for all these
weary months that this agony of war
has tasted of the sinister purpose of
the central empires. The Austro-H Hun
Sarldu eIIipiiS httS SOhc W pieces ana
the Turkish empire has disappeared
(Applause) and the nations that eff
fected that great result-for it was a
result of Tberation-are now response
hle as the trustees of the assets of
those great nations. (Applause).
Zone of the things that the league Of
natio1ss is intended TO watch is the
course of intrigue. Intrigue cannot
stand publicity and if the league of
nations were nothing but a great de-