Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-06
WILSON REPLIES TO CLEMENCEAJ

! Mo STATESMAN ever entered upon a
l. more stupendous task than that with
! which President Wilson is occupying him
| self at the present time. lie is seeking
TO change the motives and purposes OF
Governments i'll Europe and TO turn them
into a new channel. Whoever has under.
taken TO overcome the inertia OF any
great corporation will appreciate some
what the difficulties which the President
is courageously facing. Habit, custom.
precedent Of years do not give way readily.
No single man can of his own force over.
come the inertia OF the European Govern
ments any more than he can overcome
the inertia Of an avalanche.
Mr.. Wilson s not trying to do this thing
alone. He is summoniug to his assistance
"A power greater than the statesmen and
greater than the Governments they ad-
minister. He is appealing directly to the
fountain head of power--that is to The
peoples themselves. They are hungering
and ;hirsting for an arrangement which
viii do away with wars and provocation
for wars And it is such an arrangement
the President is striving 10 make by bring
ing to bear upon the Governments the
pressure of the public opinion OF England
France and Italy.
Premier Clemenueau's declaration in
favor of balance Of power rather than
the concert Of power for which Mr. Will
son is pleading has rot discouraged him.
His Chamber of Deputies speech in Rome
was a direct response 10 Clemenceau and
an announcement to this old statesman
that his thinking was out OF harmony wan
the thinking OF the present. There must
he something substituted for the balance OF
power" he said, "and ! am happy to find
everywhere in the air OF these great
nations the conception that that thing
must he thoroughly united league Of
nations"
The French and the English nave re.
spouded to this .dea most heartily. They
have looked upon Ny. Wilson as the herald
Of rev era ana they are looking 10
thei' statesmen TO cooperate with him.
The Italians have also shown their SYM
patty with Lis purpose and he has most
suUUy represented to them that they ana
he are in hearty sympathy.
."d when the city Of Rome made him
one of It's citizens he talked Of the par;-
nersh.p between Italy and America in the
work Of freedom and said: Il would not
have felt at liberty to come away from
America if had not felt that the ,ime
had arrived when forgetting loca' inter.
cs,s and local ties and local purposes. men
ehVlld unite in this great enterprise that
viii ever tie free men together as q body
Of brethren and a body Of free spirits"
], is too mucn 10 nope that the IDEAL
which the President is holding alolt will
be wholly realized during the present
generation. But if he succeeds in heading
the world in the light direction he viii
lave accomplished something very much
worth while The frs step VII lie in
the abandonment OF the effort 70 ba!auce
On" group Of Powers against another for
'Ac purpos" u' preserving world peace"
The necessity Of forming a concert Of free
nations hospitab'- 10 All other nations
which qualify for admission SO far over.
shadows eycr> th.uS e,,e tHul II mus, u,tl.
mat"ly commend Itself to the judgment Of
ZEN 80 great a laSgard as Clcmenceau.
The British statesmen are committed 20
.I a.d it j. 20 impress It's Importance
upon the othc, nations that Mr.. Wilson
is now acting as a sort OF diplomatic
h.pAcn connecting the people Of the four
great Powers with one another; or, 10
change ,He hGur", he j. acting as the
.uss of humanity