New-York tribune., 1919-07-11
". N.Y.hessC Comment
On Wilson sSpeech
Appeal to Finish Great
York, Says World; ;
Nebulous. asserts Sum

Editorial comment by New York
newspapers on President Wilson's ad.
dress to the Senate yesterday follows
THE WORLD
"The Presidents address, in the
main, was an appeal to the American
people to finish their great work and
make 1T secure. He put the issue of
peace upon the same high plane that
ne put the issue of war when the
united States became the moral arbt r
of the world That moral leadership
remains. 1t cannot be sacrificed for
the mean, sordid motives that actuate
the opposition to the league of nations
without bringing civilization again to
the verge of chaos, and if that comes
there Will be no security for the Amer
lean people in q pretended isolation
that events have made wholly hcti-
tious."
THE sun
eve have had quite enough Of these
generalties. The time had come for
something else. Instead of that some
thing else the President has chosen to
give the the Senate the same old neb
ulous thing. He said much about our
duty-as by himself individually dis
cerned-but there is not one discover
able sentence or word that throws
light on the practical and constitution
al objections to his proposals.; that
makes any clearer, for instance. the
workings of the council in relation
to Americas future veal or woe.
Those who honestly differ with the
President on the question of the Re-
publlc's dpty to itself and to the world,
those who hesitate about ratifying the
portentous contract as it now stands,
were hoping that the great occasion
might produce the condensation of at
least few drops of clear liquid from
the vapor surrounding his habitual
outgivlngs On the subject. They have
hoped IN vain, this time at least. They
get little more from Mr.. Wilson than
, tine we'll known voices in the air and
visions on the horizon"
THE HERALD
Those persons who had expected that
the President would in his address to
the Senate meet the criticisms which
have been made of the league of ma
tlons project will find only dsappoint-
ment in perusal of the text Of that ad
dress. There is in it much of the too
familiar generalization, little Of real
substance. 1t may be hardly fair, how
It's omissions, since at the outset the
President announced that he would at
tempt only general characterization
OF the scope of the treaty and its pur-
pose. All Americans are not only will
ing but eager to have their country do
its tull part in helping out the peoples
OF other lands, but many are unwilling
that this help should be rendered at a
sacrifice Of the people of this land and
especially of the independence which
Americans hold SO dear There are in
Americans think involve serious en-
efoachment upon the rights and even
the independence of this country. In
his address to the Senate yesterday
the President saw fit TO ignore those
provisions. 1t is to be hoped that
closer contact with the people viii
bring him to q realization of the ne
cessitv cf meeting their criticism and
their doubts.
THE TIMES
1t is only in the United States that
the covenant and the wisdom of the
policy it embodies are called in ques-
ton. The league Of nations is accepted
as a new birth of freedom for the
world by every responsible statesman
of Europe. by the peoples of Europe,
we may say by every statesman of the
United States whose mind is free from
the beclouding bias of some personal
or partisan feeling. For little time
opposition will continue in the Sen
ate. 1t will give way, it must give
way, the treaty will be ratified, it must
be ratified, because the people of the
country will not permit it to be re-
jected or to be amended, since amend
ment is rejection, The address of the
President yesterday compels ratifica-
ton; it is an irresistible force which
the Senate cannot withstand Such a
presentation Of great principles as the
President has made, with perfect
straightforwardness and simplicity of
manner, Illuminating, az unassailable
as the universally honored precepts of
morality, has never failed to move
profoundly the American people and to
bring them to conviction and assent.