Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-12
CUMMINGS ExTOLS
WILSON AT WOMEN'S
JEFFERSON FEAST
Continued from page /

tontiiusa iIoii pos'
tratlon; while the creation of the Fed
eral Reserve System gave TO our coun-
try an economic soundneas which II had
irvcr possessed under Republican RUE
nd which enabled as 10 withstand sue
cessfuily the enormous financial strain
of the Great War.
Woodrow Wilson's statesmnnshlp.
II was the statesmanship of Woodrow
Wilson that drove wedge between tho
armies Of the Central Powers. IL was
American initiative that secured unihed
+. command of the Allied armies and broke
up the U-Boat warfare. When the time
came to lay down the terms OF the
armistice. IL was the American Presi-
dent who dictated the terms. The pen
of Woodrow Wilson was mightier than
/ the sword of Prussia.
I say to you. i'm all solemnity. that
! American power. prestige. honor ana
! statesnanship have never, in the en-
| tire history of our country, reached
! tho heights that they did under the
| leadership Of Woodrow Wilson. Amer
| ica had II in her power. not only to be
/ the moral leader of the world. but the
material leader of new world fash-
| toned I'm the muulds Of peace. This was
/ the supreme moment of our history.
! our hearts beat the fnster when we
realized that 10 had been given to our
! country 20 lead the stricken peoples OF
the world up from the valleys TO the
/ higher planes of achievement. The
4 hour was ripe for this great adventure
/ The very air was surcharged with
/ large and generous emotions. Tho time
! had como to redeem the hopes Of tho
world and To Justify the unending enc
/ rlficcs which humanity had made.
! There had been. throughout the period
/ Of tho war such n moving spirit OF
patriotism, and all sorts and conditions
of people had been drawn 50 closely
together by their mutual service that
/ there was no general recognition Of tho
/ possibilities of serious divisions OF sen
! timent 1t WAS a common saying that
/ we were no longer Republicans or Dom
/ ocrnts-that we were only Americans.
! This psychology had heen carefully
inculCatcd and had been amazingly ef-
fective during the hazardous period
through which the country was pass
ing Tho general public did not know
or sense the dangers that lurked behind
the shifting of authority.
Most lFnobIe Campaign.
Immediately following the election Of
the Republican House and Senate IN
1918. the evils which might readily hava
been foreacen. developed with aatound-
ing celebrity and became more virulcut
and menaCng with cnch advancing
hour The alumhcriug opposition q
President Wilson. which had burned
lillo an inward consuming FIRE I'm tho
breasts Of tho Republican leaders. burst
forth Immediately after that disastrous
election. Nothing that ingenuity could
auEgest or envy could invent vas
omitted In tho attempt 10 weaken the
Influence of President WIadu at home
and abroad. Every element of our pop-
ulation which was supposed 70 have
somc grievance was appealed To Is
rrouasanGa of the most Forhd char
actcr liacial animoaitios old Worle
batrcda. and ancient auarrcls were De,
lncrately revived and large elements
of our population were taught 10 thinF
in terms Of countries other than Amer
iCa.
say without equivocation. that thu
campaign against Mr., Wilson that VA
carried on, beginning with the Repub-
lican success in 1918. WAS not only th'
most iguoble in tho history Of Ameri
can politics. but il had a disintegratins
effect upon American solidarity Will
incnlculahle consequences of evil. TIL
President. engaged in the most sacret
task ever allotted 70 man. vas III
victim Of every Islander and vile accuse
,ion that could be suggested by maIic'
or envy: and yet he went steadily for
ward with his great work. carrying
to completion and bringing il home il
triumph.
The world was in ruins, industry evei
III our own country had been unde
severe strain. and the process OF re
habiHtation should have gone forwart
: Immediately upon the signing of tn
armlsticc. Nearly u hundred thousan
American soldiers were dead in France
Ten million corpsca lay upon the bat
, tle-helds Of Europe. The smoke sti
ascended from the ashes Of three hun
dred billion dollars worth of property
representing the wealth Of centuries q