The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-11


must he given peace. If there was not
the will or the intelligence to accomplish
now there must be another and n final
war and the world must be swept clean
of every power that could renew the ter
ror. The league OF nations was not
merely an instrument TO adjust and rem
cdy old wrongs under nry peace treaty
It was the only hope for mankind. Again
and again had the demon Of war been
cast out OF the house Of the peoples ana
the house swept clean by treaty OF
peace, only 10 prepare time when he
enter in again with spirit worse than
himself. The house must now he given
a tenant who could hold il against oil
such. Convenient. indeed Indispensable
as statesmen found the newly planned
laguc Of nations to be for the execution
of present plans Of peace and reparation
thcy saw il in a new aspect before their
work was finished. They saw II as the
main object of the peace. as the only
thing that could complete ii or make IT
worth lille. They saw 1t as the hope OF
the world and that hope they did not
dare To disappoint. Shall W" or any
other free people hesitate to accept TINS
great duty?
of the world"
Result Complete.
And so the result OF the conference
Of peace. so far as Germany Is concern
ed stands complete. 1hc difficulties en-
countcrcd wcrc very many. Sometimes
they seemed insupcrcble. II was nm
possible to accommodate the interests OF
so great body Of atlons-intercStS
which directly or indirectly affected al
most every nation in the world-with7ut
many minor compromises. Tho treaty
as a result. is not exactly what We ""uIu
have written. 1t js probably not what
any one Of the national delegations
would have written. But results were
worked out which on the whole bcnr :cst.
| think that il will he found that me
compromises which were accepted as IN
cvitablc nowhere cut to tho heart OF any
principle. The work Of tho conference
as a whole conforms with the princi'Ics
agreed upon as the basis Of tho peace ~
well as with the practical possib:lit cS
Of tho international situations when
had to be faced and dealt with as facts,
shall presently hav" occasion to lay
before you special treaty with FRANCE
whose object is the temporary protection
of France from unprovokcd aggression
by the power with whom this treaty OF
peace has been negotiated. Its terms
link il with this treaty. | take the Ll3'
crty.. however. of rescrvinG IL for spe-
cial exploitation on another occasion.
The role which America was 10 play
in tho conference seemed to be deter
mined by the universal expectations OF
of the nations whose representatives
drawn from all quarters Of the Elooe.we
were 10 deal with. 1t was universally
recognized that America had entered tho
war to promote no private or peculiar
interest OF her own but only "A the
champion Of rights which she was glad
10 share with free men and lovers o:
Justice everywhere. We had Formulated
the principles upon which the settle
mcnt was to be madc--the principles
upon which the armisticc had been
agreed to and the paricys "f peace un'
dcrtaken-and on one doubted that our
desire was 10 sec tho treaty of peace
| formulated along the actual lines OF
| those principles and desired nothing
else. VIC were welcomed rs disintcrrd
| friends We were rcsortcd to as arbi'
| tors in many difficult matter. II was
recognized that our material aid would
| be Indispensable in tho days TO como
when industry and credit would have &c
be brought back to their normal opcrG'
| ton again and communities beaten &c
! the ground assisted 10 their feet once
moro, and 1: was takcn for granted.
am proud to say, that we would play he
: helpful friend in these things as iE al
! others without prejudice or favor We
were generously accepted as the unaf
| .cctcd champions Of what was right. Il
was n very responsible role TO play; bu
| I am happy 10 report that the fine grouI
! OF Americans who helped with their cx
pert advice in each part OF the varicc
settlements sought in every transaction
to justif" the high confidence reposcc
| in them.
! And that confidence. IT seems to me
| is tho measure Of our opportunity in thu
days TO come in which the new hope o.
! thc peoples OF the world Is 10 be fulfil
cd or disappointed. The fact that Amer
| lea is the friend Of the nations. whethe
they be rivals or associates. Is no new
fact; it Is only the discovery OF II b!
| the rest Of tho world that is new.
| America may be said TO have jus
reached her majority as a world power
It was almost exactly twcnty-one year!
ago that the results of the war Will
Spain put US Unexpectedly In possession
| of rich islands on the other side Of tn
world and brought US into association
with other governments in the contro
Of the West Indies It was regarded a!
q sinister and ominous thing by tn
statesmen Of moro than one European
! chancellcry that we should have extend
! cd our power beyond the confines o,
!, our continental dominIons They were
accustomed to think Of new neightor:
| az a new menace, Of rivals as watchfu
| enemies. There wero persons amongst