The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-03-29

These doubters may be right; they
may be wrong. l do not pretend to
know. l do know that if this issue
should unhappily be as the doubters
are obviously satisfied it will be. then
the cynic can feel that once more he
has been justified and the simple and
trusting obviously imposed upon. Then
indeed there will have been deception.
Some Questions to Ask.
Honest people everywhere will point
the finger of scorn and indignation at
these statesmen. They will have a
right to ask: Where now is that i'm
partial justice that knows no favor
ties which recently you spoke so much
about? Where now is this new order
and these handsome foundations of
lasting peace? Were all those beauti-
full professions of yours that, simple
and grand, seemed tuned to the etern-
al verities of our souls, awakening in
them sympathetic response that we
could not smother-were these beauti-
full professions but skilfully spun
phrases finely woven to enmesh us?
Are you, after all, only as were the
rest-was this war only as were other
wars-was it for your puny ambitions
that humanity has endured the horrors
of the past five years and the entail
of sorrows they have bequeathed to
the future?"
l do not know whether the states
men at Paris will prove unworthy of
the trust or whether they will be great
enough to grasp the opportunity that
requires so little to improve it and
found firmly now those relations be-
tween peoples on basis worthy of our
common humanity.
Man Of Hope in Paris.
But it is surely a source of hope to
know that at Paris there is one man at
least who apparently realizes his duty
and who can accomplish what he wills
if only he remain steadfastly deter
mined and true The Machiavellis
may scott at him, but he ought to know
that he has the best of mankind every
where at his back.
Let him but be bold enough to lead
ton of mankind, the plain people,
whose spokesman he has been and
whose hearts he has won, will be ready
to march with him to the realization
of their common dream.
Why should he hesitate to see that
Americas aims be accomplished?
Were those aims not stated unequivo-
cally from the start? Is the cause
less worthy now that it's triumph is
in sight? Are those who oppose it
now less the enemies of that cause
than those who were thought lately
to oppose it?
Why should any of the statesmen in
Paris even seek to oppose President
Wilson in having the cause of justice
upheld? Have their statements not
been almost as explicit as his? Have
they not We'd with one another in
proclaiming that the rights of the
weak are no less worthy than the
rights of the strong? How can any of
them claim the privilege of condon-
ing wrong?
Calls on Wilson to Act.
Should thew attempt to do so Pres;-
dent Wilson should boldly save them
from themselves. Wrong is no less
wrong because it happens to be one
of their own number that is guilty of
It.
If President Wilson should by any
chance prove too weak for his trust he
will have all the less excuse because
luckily America is strong enough not
to allow herself to be cheated. She, at
any rate, has no need to tremble when
the British lion growls his intimidat-
ing warnings to those who might dis
turb him at his prey.
cannot believe that the President
will be weak or will allow himself to
be deferred from cutting away vi
cious canker at the core of the new
world order by the conventional dip
lomatic niceties that belonged to the
order which the blood of millions was
shed to destroy.