Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-05

would go anywhere where the
rights of mankind were threatened.
! Rush of Spirit.
"They would not sit still in the
trenches They would not be re-
strained BY the prudence of exper-
fenced continental commanders. They
thought they had come over there
to do particular thing and they
were going to do it, and do it at
once. And just as soon as that
rush of spirit as we'll as rush of
body came in contact with the lines
of the enemy, they began to break,
and they continued TO break until
the end.
They continued to break. my fell
low citizens, not merely because Of
the physical force of those lusty
Youngsters, but because of the ir-
resistible spiritual force of the ARM
les OF the United States. 1t was
that they felt. 1t was that that awed
them. 1t was that that made them
feel, if these youngsters ever got a
foothold, they could never be dis
lodged, and therefore, every foot of
ground that was won was perma-
nently won for the liberty of man
kind.
"And do you suppose that, having
felt that crusading spirit OF these
youngsters, who went over there,
not to glorify against, but to serve
their fellowmen, | am going to per-
NIT myself for one moment to slack
en- in my effort to be worthy of them
and their cause? What / said at
the opening | said with deeper
meaning than perhaps you have
caught; do mean not to come back
until it's over, over there and it must
not be over until the nations of the
world are assured of the permanency
Gentlemen on this side of the
water would be very much profted
by getting into communication with
some gentlemen on the other side
of the water. We sometimes think
that the experienced statesmen Of
the European nations are an unus-
ually hard-headed set of men, by
which we generally mean, although
we do not admit it, that they are a
nit cynical; that they say this is a
very practical world by which you
always mean that it is not an ideal
world; that they do not believe that
things can be settled upon an ideal
basis. Well, / never came into init
mate contact with them before, bur
if they used to be that way, they
are not that way now.
"They have been subdued, if that
was once their temper, by the awful
significance of recent events and the
awful Importance of what is to ell
sue, and there is not one of them
with whom | have come in contact
who does not feel that he cannot in
conscience return to his people from
Paris unless he has done his utmost
to do something more than attach
his name to treaty of peace. Every
man in that conference knows that
the treaty of peace in itself will be
imperative, as Mr.. Taft has said,
without this constant support and
energy of a great organization such
as is supplied by the league of ma
tions.
Scores Critics Of League.
"All men who, when | first went
over there, were skeptical of the
possibility of forming a league of
nations, admitted that if we could
but form it, it would be an invalu-
able instrumentality through which
to secure the operation of the var
ious parts of the treaty; and when
that treaty comes back gentlemen
on this side will find the covenant
not only in it, but so many threads
Of the treaty tied to the covenant
that you cannot dissect the covenant
from the treaty without destroying
the whole vital structure. This
structure of peace will not be vital
without the league of nations, and
no man is going to bring back ca
daver with him.
Il must say that / have been
puzzled by some of the criticisms
not by the criticisms themselves,
can understand them perfectly even
when there was no foundation for
them; but by the fact of the crit
icism. / cannot imagine how these
gentlemen can live and not live in
the atmosphere of the world.
Il cannot imagine how they can
live and not be in contact with the
efforts of times, and | particularly
cannot imagine how they can be
Americans and set up a doctrine of
careful selfishness, throughout to the
last detail. / have heard no counsel
of generosity in their criticism;
have heard no contructive suggestion
| have heard nothing except, Will it
it not be dangerous to help the
worldF It would be fatal to us not
to help it.
From being what I will venture
to call the most famous and the
most powerful nation in the world,
we would of a sudden have become
the most contemplate. So, did
not need to be told, as I have been
told, that the people of the United
States would support this covenant.
l am an American and ! knew they
would.
Revenge Upon World.
''What sweet revenge it is upon
the world. They laughed at us once,
they thought we did not mean our
profession of principles. They
thought so until April, 1917. 1t was
hardly credible to them that we