Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-03-05
IGNORANCE OF BIG
WORLD CONDITIONS
On Part of Those Who Oppose League
of Nations, Shocks Wilson, He
Says Before Sailing For Paris

New York, March 5-President Will
son told the American people in an
address here last night, on the eve of
his return to Paris that he was going
back to the peace conference to battle
with renewed vigor for the creation
of a League of Nations.
"The first thing that am going to
tell them is that an overwhelming
majority of the American people is
in favor of the League Of Nations"
said the President
Speaking after former President
Taft had expounded the main features
of the proposed covenant of nations.
Mr.. Wilson told the vast audience,
J which filled the Metropolitan Opera
House, his opinions Of opponents of
the league plan IN America
mo party has a right to appropri-
ate this issue, and no party win in
the long run, dare oppose it." he as
serted.
Asserting that the League of Ma
tions is "meant as notice to all out
law nations" that the great peoples OF
the world viii no longer tolerate in
ternational crimes, the President said
that Europe is bit sick a theart at
this very moment, because it sees that
statesmen have had no vision, and
that the only vision has been the Wis
ion of the people"
"And am amazed-not alarmed,
but amazed, that there should be in
some quarters such comprehensive
ignorance of the state of the world"
continued Mr.. Wilson. "Those gentle
men do not know what the mind Of
men is just now. Everybody else
does.
@I do not know where they have
been closeted. I do not know by what
influence they have been blinded; but
I do know that they have been separ-
ted from the general currents of the
thought of mankind
"And / want to utter this solemn
warning, not in the way of threat;
the forces of the world do not threat
en-. they operate. The great tides of
the world do not give notice that they
are going TO rise and run; they rise
in their majesty and Overwhelming
might and those who stand IN the way
are overwhelmed. Now the heart of
the world Is awake and the heart Of
the world must be satisged."
Americas soldiers he said, went ov-
erseas feeling they were bound s.
credly TO the realization Of those
ideals which their President had enun-
ciated when the United States went
into the war.
aAnd do you suppose" continued
the President, @"that having felt that
crusading spirit of those youngsters
who went over there not to glorify
America, but to serve their fellowmen,
I am going to permit myself for one
moment to slacken in my effort to be
worthy of them and their cause?
do mean not to come back until its
over over there and it must not be
over until the nations of the world are
assured of the permanency OF peace"
Opponents Of the league in this
tuntry do not comprehend the tenn
per and desire of European states
men, said the President, who added
that "there is not one Of them with
whom have come in contact who
does not feel that he cannot in con-
science return to his people from Par
is unless he has done his utmost to do
something more than attach his name
to treaty of peace"
Asserting that the structure OF
peace viii not be vital without the
League of Nations" the President
continued:
81 must say that / have been puz-
zled by some Of the criticisms-not by
the criticisms themselves; I can un-
derstand them perfectly even when
there was no foundation for them. but
the fact Of the criticism.
'T cannot imagine how these gentle
men can live and not live in the at
mosphere of the world. l cannot i'm
agine how they can live and not be m
contact with the events in their times,
and / particularly cannot imagine how