The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-28
PRESIDENCY BEHIND
ME, SAYS WILSON
Executive, at Paris Dinner, In
Inmates He Will Not Seek
Reelection.
LAUDS AMERICAS SPIRIT
Chief Speaker at Banquet in
Honor Of DIR. PessOa of
Brazil.

AhiSb may st-treSluent Wilson
was the chief speaker last night at a
dinner given by the Pan-American peace
delegation In honor Of DR.. Epitacio
Pessoa, President-elect OF Brazil. In
his speech President Wilson said
THE honor has been accorded me-"
President Wilson said in beginning his
speech, "of making the first speech to-
night. and am very glad to avail my
self of that privilege. want to say
that l feel very much at home in this
company, though after all suppose no
one or us feels thoroughly at home ex-
cept on the other side of the water. We
all feel in a very real sense that we
have common home, because we live in
the atmosphere OF the same conceptions
and 1 think with the same political am
billions and principles.
Il am particularly glad TO have the
opportunity of paying my respects to
Mr.. Pessoa. 1t is very delightful. for
one thing. to know that my Presidency
is not ahead of me and that his Presi-
dency Is ahead of him. wish him every
happiness and every success with the
greatest earnestness, and yet I cannot.
II 1 may judge by my own experience,
expect for him very great exhilaration
in the performance Of the duties of his
office, because, after all, to be the head
OF an American State Is a task Of un-
relieved responsibility. American con-
stitutions. as a rule. put so many duties
OF the highest sort upon the President
and SO much Of the responsibility of
AFFAIRS OF State is centred upon him that
his years Of office are apt to be years
n little weighted with anxiety, O little
burdened with the sense of the obliga-
tion of speaking for his people, speaking
what they really think and endeavoring
to accomplish what they really desire.
Hard to Interpret People.
IT suppose no more delicate task Is
given any man than to interpret the
feelings and the purposes OF a great peo-
pie. know that. II I may speak for
myself, the chief anxiety have had has
been to be the true interpreter of a ma
ticnal spirit. expressing no private and
peculiar views, but trying to express the
general spirit of a nation. And a nation
looks to its President to do that; and
the comradeship of an evening like this
Goes not consist merely of the sense of
neighborhood. We are neighbors. We
have alwayc been friends But this Is
all old. Something new has happened.
/ am not sure that I can put II into
words, but there has been added to the
common principles which have united
the Americas time out OF mind a feeling
that the world at large has accepted
those principles. that there has gone a
thrill Of hope and OF expectation
throughout the nations of the world
which somehow seems to have its source
and fountain in the things we always be-
lieved in. 1t Is as II the pure waters of
the fountains we had always drunk from
had now been put to the lips Of all Deo-
pies and they have drunk and were re-
ireshej.
And It is a delightful thought to be-
lieve that these are fountains which
sprang W out OF the soil of the Amer
icas. I am not OF course suggesting o.
believing that political liberty had It's
birth II the American hemisphere, be-
cause of course 1t had not, but the Pc
ouliar expression OF 1t characteristic of
the modern time, that broad republican
ism. that genuine feeling and practice of
democracy, that Is becoming character
istic of the modern world. did have It's
origin in America; and the response of
the peoples OF the world to this new ex-
preston is, we may perhaps pride our
selves, a response to an American sug-
gestion.
Must Live the Part.
IF that is true We owe the world a
peculiar service. If we originated great
practices we must ourselves be worthy
OF them. I remember not long ago
attending a very interesting meeting
which was held in the interest of com
bining Christian missionary effort
throughout the world. I mean eliminat-
ing the rivalry between churches and
agreeing that Christian missionaries
should not represent this. that or the
other church. but represent the general
Christian impulse and principle of the
world. 1 said was thoroughly in sym
H. At.,lA A,.N skAA
hoped II It was adopted that the inhabi-
tants of the heather countries would not
come TO look at u.s. because we were not
ourselves united. but divided: that while
we were asking them to unite. we our
selves did not set the example
MY moral from that recollection Is
this: We, among other friends OF lib
erty, are asking the world to unite In
the interest OF brotherhood and mutual
service and the genuine advancement OF
Individual or corporate liberty through
out the world; therefore. we must sci
the example.
ct will recall here to some OF you
an effort that myself made some years
ago, soon after I assumed the Presi.
dency of the United States to do that
very thing. I was urging the Other
States of America to unite with the
United States in doing something which
very closely resembled the formation
of the present League of Nations.
was ambitious to have the Americas
do the thing first and set the example
20 the world of what We are now abou
TO realize. I had a double object in 1t
not only my pride that the American
should set the example and show TIL,
genuineness OF their principles. but tina
fine United States should have a new
relation to the other Americas
Warned Europeans.
THE United States upon famoul
occasion warned the Governments o.
Europe that II would regard II as al
unfriendly act II they tried TO overturI
free institutions in the Western Hemi