Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-10

throughout all the toiling nations of
world standing everywhere in peril
of its freedom and of the, loss Of
everything it held dear, in deadly fear
that its bonds were never to be
loosed. it's hopes forever to be mocked
And disappointed.
PEACE CONFERENCE
Held RESPONSIBLE.
And the compassion Of what they
stood for was upon us who represent
ed America at the peace table. It
was our duty to see to it that every
decision we took part in contributed
50 far as we were able to influence it,
to quiet the fears and. realize the
hope Of the peoples who had been liv-
ing In that shadow the nations that
had come by our assistance to thsdr
freedom. 1t was our duty to do
everything that was within our power
to do to make the triumph Of freedom
and Of right q lasting triumph In de
assurance of which men might every
where live without fear.
"Old entanglenents Of every kind
stood in the way-promises which
governments had made to one an
other in the days when might and
right were confused and the power OF
the victor was without restraint
Enga6ments which contemplated any
dispositions Of territory. any ex-
tensions of sovereignty that might
seem to- be to the interest Of those
who had the power to insist on them.
had been entered into without thought
of what the peoples concerned might
wish or profit by; and these could not
always be honorably brushed aside
1T was not easy to graft the new
order of ideas on the old and some
of the fruits OF the grating may. l
f~~ No D,.<
few exceptions the men who sat with
us at the peace table desired as SIN
cerely as we did to get away from the
bad influences It had been our privi-
lege to formulate the principles which
were accepted as the basis Of ths
peace, but they had been accomplish
ed not because we had come in to
hasten and assure the victory, and in
sisted upon them, bht because they
were readily acceAded to as the prin-
ciples to which honorable and en-
lightened minds everywhere had been
bred. They spoke the conscience OF
the world, as well as the conscience of
America, and l am happy to pay
tribute OF respect and gratitude to the
able men with whom it was my
privilege to cooperate for their un-
failing spirit of cooperation: their
constant effor to accommodate the
interests they reptesented to the
principles we were all agreed upon
The difficulties. which were many. lay
in the circumstances. not often In the
men. Almost without exception the
men who led had caught the true and
full vision Of the problem of peace ~
an indivisible whole. problem, not
Of mere adjustments Of interest, but
Of Justice and right action.
AMBITIONS DID
NOT RULE ~ N. ~
The atmosphere IA which the CON-
ference worked seemed created not "
the ambitions o1 strong governments
but by the hopes and aspirAt1oAs of
small nations and Of peoples hitherto
under bondage TO the power that vie-s
tory had shattered ana sdestroysd.
| Two great empires had been forced;
into political hankruptcy and we Wefe;
the receivern Our task Was not only
60 make peare With the ceAtrai en- 4
pires and reinet1y the Wfpn6G thsir
armies had doAe The central ~
pfreG hAd ltvsA III 6rsa sviola1ien 1f
| many Of the VERY m gllt1 kef i1teh ~
war had beess y. dominAttnG
alien peoples 0vef II rlHoea hey hAA ~
tnaturAI rtGht ~ ruiz ~ lefeg 3 4l1
iobsdi disqce biit xex 1561.
1 Scsss d. IS l.