Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-26
PEACE OF WORLD
LEAGUES OBJECT,
PRESIDENT SAYS
Conference Shall Make Means
of Enforcing Settlements, e
He Declares.

dressed by President Wilson on the
subject of league of nations. The
President declared the conference had
solemn obligations to make a per-
manent settlement
The present conference, the Presi-
dent added, could not complete its
work until some further machinery
Of settlement should be set up. The
President spoke earnestly.
His address in full follows:
Mr.. Chairman: I consider it dis
tinguished privilege to be permitted
to open the discussion in this con-
ference on the league of nations. We
have assembled for two purposes-to
make the present settlements which
have been rendered necessary by this
war, and also to secure the peace of
the world not only by the present
settlements, but by the arrangements
we shall make at this conference for
its maintenance.
'The league of nations seems to me
to be necessary for both of these pur-
poses There are many complicated
questions connected with the present
settlements, which perhaps cannot be
successfully worked out to an ultimate
issue by the decisions we shall arrive
at here. I can easily conceive that
many of these settlements will need
subsequent consideration; that many
of the decisions we make shall need
subsequent alteration in some degree,
for il may Judge by my own study
CT some Of these questions, they are
not susceptible for confident judg-
ments at present.
Necessary 70 Have Machinery.
stsfcfs necessary tnst we
should set up some machinery by
which the work Of this conference
should be rendered complete.
I'VE have assembled here for the
purpose OF doing very much more than
making the present settlements that
are necessary. We are assembled un-
der very peculiar conditions OF world
opinion. l. may say. without straininE
the point. that we are not the repre-
sentatives of governments, but repre-
SentatlVeS OF peoples.
1T will not suffice to satisfy gov
ernment circles anywhere. It is nee
essary that we should satisfy the opin-
ion of mankind.
The burdens Of this war have fallen
in unusual degree upon the whole
population of the countries involved.
l do not need to draw for you the pic
ture Of how the burden has been
thrown back from the front upon the
older men, upon the women. upon
the children, upon the homes of the
civilized world. and how the real
strain Of the war has come where the
eye of the government could not
reach. but where the heart of human
ity beats.
People Want Lasting Peace.
I'VE are hidden by these people to
make a peace which will make them
secure. We are bidden by these people
to see to it that this strain does not
come upon them again. And venture
to say that it has been possible for
them to bear this strain because they
hoped that Those who represented
them could get together after this
war and make such another sacrifice
unnecessary.
"It is solemn obligation on our part.
therefore. to make permanent ar
rangements that Justice shall be rem
dered and peace maintained.
This is the central object Of our
meeting. Settlements may be tempo
rary, but the action of the nations in
the interest of peace and justice must
be permanent. We can set up per-
manent processes. We may not be
Must Draw World Picture.
Therefore it seems to me that we
must take as far as we can a picture
of the world into our minds. Is it not
a startling circumstance, for one
science. that the quiet studies of men
in laboratories, that the thoughtful de-
velopmehts which have taken place in
quiet lecture rooms have now been
turned to the destruction of civiliza-
tion? The powers Of destruction have
not SO much multiplied as they have
gained facilities.
1.-The enemy whom we have lust
overcome had at his seats of learning
some of the principal centers of scien-
tiflc study and discovery. and he used
them in order to make destruction sud
den and complete. And only the watch
full and continuous cooperation of men
can see to it that science. as well as
armed men, is kept within the harness
of civilization.
I'm a sense the United States Is less
interested in this subject than the
other nations here assembled. With her
great territory and her extensive sea
borders, 1t is less likely that the United
States should suffer from the attack Of
enemies than that other nations should
suffer. And the ardor Of tho United
States-for 1t Is a very deep and genu-
inc ardor-for the society Of nations is
Wt an ardor springing out of fear or
i apprehension, but an ardor springing
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