The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-02-28


-stined to- save the world from its sin and folly
Had he not come bringing new garment-a gar
ment white with justice, peace and good FELLOW
ship? Was he not the evangel who was to usher
in the millennium which millons'4of soldiers, dying
in the trenches, had yisoned with dimming eyes?
The sea was to be free Races and peoples were
10 govern themselves. Age old hatreds were to be
extingushed Disputes were henceforth to be
solved by the Golden Rule Navies were to melt
away and armies disband. Not since Calvary
had there been promulgated grander program
for the beterment of humanity No wonder that
in four continents the name of Woodrow Wilson
was uttered and blessed in every household.
And then came the great tragedy, The new
garment, designed for a world just and reason
able would not fit world distorted with anger
hate, revenge, greed and slaughter.
President Wilson's fall from his high estate
dates from the first refusal of the peace conference
lc embody in the treaty those points which the
nations represented had already accepted in prin-
cipe.
And his great mistake was committed whcn
instead of standing 10 the death by his program
and trusting all TO the future judgment of the
world, he came down to the level of the other
peace conferees and undertook to recover by COM
promise some of The things he had lost by the be-
trayal Of his associates.
Without the incorporation of his fourteen
points in the treaty that instrument could be no
better than other treaties, dictated by conoucrors
10 defeated foes, had been through the bloody
centuries of Europe's history. 1t could embrace
none of the things for which this country spent its
wealth and blood. 1t was not for territory, nor
indemnity, any material advantage that this
country fought, but to pave the way for an era
of peace. hat object was irretrevably lost when
the peace conference rejected the very basis of our
declaration of war.
1t was inevitable that treaty which had to be
apologized for and explaned-a treaty which left
everything in doubt even to the status of our future
relations with Europe-would meet with the stern
est opposition. Americans felt that the treaty of
Versailles, and the league of nations covenant en-
braced therein, fell infinitely short of their aspra-
tons. AS the responsible representative of this
country at Versailles. the odium of this failure fell
upon Wilson. There was no escape The sol
emn referendum taken not on what the presi-
dent wished to do, but on what against his will,
he finally consented to do, could have but one
result The American people voted at the polls
as Mr.. Wilson himself voted at the conference,
before that body rejected his plan and substituted
its own
The cloud under which he retires from Office is
thus easy to understand. Ii is no reflection upon
his wisdom his honor or his greatness Neither
is it a reflection upon the wisdom of the people
Rather, by one CT those amazing ironies of history
the clouds disspate and truth becomes clear
again, it will stand out as a vindication of both.
Woodrow Wilson will loom high in the annals
of his country man who saw much, attempted
great things, brought them to the very gate of
achievement and failed only because the race had
not kept step with him.