Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-15
OF
LEAGUE GIVEN
OUT AT PARIS

NCOnftnued from rage uheJ
representative group Of the confer
ence itself.
"This is union Of will in COM
mon purpose" the president pro-
ceeded. 1T is a union which can
not be resisted, and | dare say, one
which no nation will attempt to re-
sist.
Document Definite and Elastic.
The president pointed out that the
document was mo strait-jacket.
1t was elastic, and not a vehicle of
OF might, he said. 1t was yet to be
developed. and as yet care should
be taken as to the clothes put on it.
While elastic, yet it was definite.
1T is definite" continued Presi-
dent Wilson, as a guarantee of
peace. 1t is definite as a guarantee
against aggression. 1t is definite
against renewal of such a cata-
clysm as has just shaken civiliza-
ton"
The president spoke with especial
emphasis as he referred TO the
wrongs committed against helpless
peoples.
There is one especially notable
feature in this document" he said
1--WE are done with annexations Of
helpless peoples, at times accom-
plished in the past for the purposes
Of exploiting these people, In this
document we recognize that these
helpless communities are first to be
helped and developed and that their
own interests and we'll being shall
come before any material advantage
TO the mandatory entrusted with
their case"
TOO often in the past" the presi-
dent added, "the world had seen the
lands of helpless communities APP
pointed for political purposes,
"And So" he said, while this is
a practical document, il is above all
a human document. 1t is practical
and at the same time it is designed
to purify, to rectify. to elevate"
President Wilson closed his ad-
dress at $3.50 o'clock, having read
and spoken just one hour. An in
terpreter then talked another hour.
Cecil Notes Good Omen.
Lord Robert Cecil, head of the
British commission on the league
of nations, followed the interpreter.
II was a good omen, said Lord Ce-
Gil, that this document had been
laid before the world before being
finally enacted, so that people every
where could advise upon and criti-
else it. The problem had been one
Of great difficulty for it was to pre-
serve the peace of the world with
the least possible interference with
national sovereignty.
The results accomplished, he con-
tinucd, embraced two main prin-
ciples: First, no nation shall go to
war until every other means of set
Element shall be fully and fairly
tried; second. no nation shall forcib-
" seek to disturb a territory's in
tegrity or interfere with the pol
itical independence of the nations OF
the world. These were the great
principles, but later another great
principle must be laid down, namely
that no nation should retain arnla-
ments fit only for aggressive pur-
poses"
DR.. Vittorio Orlando, the Italian
prime minister, expressed deep sat-
isfaction at having collaborated in
what was going to be one of the
greatest documents of history. He
would not speak Of the merits Of
the scheme. DIR. Orlando contin-
ued, as these had been explained by
one whose noble inspiration had
brought it into existence. The war
had brought forth the necessity for
this document.
"Thus born out Of the pains Of
war; the premier explained, this
is a document of freedom and right
which represents the redemption Of
humanity by sacrifice"
Difficulties Encountered.
Now that the project for the Gre
alton of league of nations, which
was the principal object of the gath
ering Of Representatives of most Of
the states not in arms, has been sue