The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-24
(By Associated Press)


BOSTON, Feb. 24-President Will
son, in his first speech here today on
landing from France, invited the crit
les of the league of nations plan to
"test the sentiment Of America"
Men, he declared, who would have
American fail the world in its hopes,
saw only beyond the nearest hori-
zon."
They do not know the sentiment Of
America, he said.
Speaking of hopes and aspirations
of the peoples of Europe for lasting
peace, which, he said, were pinned to
the United States as the "friend OF
mankind" the president said he had
no more doubt OF ''the verdict of Amer
lea In this matter than have doubt of
the blood that is in me-"
"The nations of the world have set
their heads now to do great thing
and they are not going to stop short
of their purpose. l do not speak OF
the governments but of the people
who will see that If their present gov
ernments do not do their will some
others will. And the secret is out and
the present governments know it.
'I have come back for an attempt to
transact business for little while in
America, but / say in all sobeness
that l have been trying to speak your
thoughts. Probing deep in my heart
and trying to see the things that are
right rather than the things that are
expedient, I am finding the heart of
America.
81 find that in loving America 1
have joined the majority of my fellow
men throughout the world"
He began his address by asking his
audience if they could understand he
was as glad to see them as they were
to see him and went on to express his
appreciation of his reception.
His reception in Europe, he said,
he considered as not tribute to him.
self but a welcome to the American
people. He regarded 1t as a welcome
to friends of liberty coming across the
sea to see that new world was to be
consecrated on the basis of justice and
right.
1.-THE greatest thing I have to re-
port to you," said he "is that this
great country of ours is trusted
throughout the world. l have not
come to report on the progress of the
peace conference. That would be pre-
mature.
''The men who are in conference in
Paris realize they are not master of
their people but servants of their
people and that no mail will dare go
home from that conference and report
anything less than is expected"
Speaking OF the slow progress of
the conference the president remind
ed his audience of the complexity of
the problems affecting nearly every
country in the world.
What we are doing" he said, "is to
hear the whole case from those most
interested have been struck by the
moderation of those presenting ma.
tional claims.
Il have seen tears in the eyes of
men there pleading for national am
bition, but they were not the tears
of anguish, they were the tears of ar
dent hope.
There is no nation in Europe that
suspects the course Of the United
States.
"Was there ever such a wonderful
thing before?
Il would not have you understand
that the men who represent the other
nations there, are disinterested. Quite
the contrary
The European statesmen, he said,
when unable to agree were to resort
to the nation known as "the friend OF
mankind"
To illustrate his point, the presi-
dent related that American soldiers
were welcomed in all the European
countries.
'1f 1 were to regard the pride feel
"a nersona1 nride-I would be the
most stuck-up man in the world"
II have been searching for the fun
damental facts that have brought
Europe to believe in us. She seemed
for the first three years to believe we
felt we could make more by staying
out than going in. Then suddenly the
whole verdict was reversed. It was
when they saw that America not only