Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-07-05
Retiring Ambassador
Wallace Clings to
Hope League Nations

lean Ambassador, Hugh c. Wallace,
speakine tonight at the Fourth or
July dinner of the American Cham-
Der of Commerce, expressed the De-
lief that the League. of Nations was
born to live and his hope that Amer
lea will join it in due season. nc
said:
Friends for $50 years, Frenchmen
and Americans ought now TO be
brothers in all but blood. Stretching
back through the years are the JOINT
memories of two great alliances ana
many victorious fields. AS We stood
together at Yorktown and more than
a century afterward. fought side by
side in the Argonne and on the
Marine, SO we should align ourselves
in the future There can be no
break in an alliance between two
peoples whose hearts and minds keep
time and tune in the harmony OF
common understanding which has
endured for five generations.
But that alliance should be per-
fected The world is in a state of
transition and along with new bound
aries and the birth OF new states
will come new interests. new hopes
and, alas, plentiful opportunities for
Giscord and disagreement.
Il shall never give up my faith
that the League of Nations was born
TO live and the hope that America
Will join it in due season--sCppoSinS
it active and efficient in exercising
it's power for good, There will still
be much need for the individual sup
port which France, America and
Great Britain are best able to give ii.
That support must rest upon pur-
pose in which national ambitions
shall be willing to forego something
in the interest of the common veal.
1t is not enough that the great states
of the world shall set an example to
the small ones and point the way
which leads TO good government and
prosperity to all. For a time at least
they 1cust be willing to take their
feeblcr brothers by the hand and help
them TO the proper enjoyment of the
new birth of freedom which came
with the end of the great war.
But France. before she can do
much to save. must receive her due.
1t is an anomaly in history that the
victor should fare worse than the van
quished, but will anyone deny that
France emerged from the world war
in worse plight than her great enc
my? Worst of all-because lowering
over an--is a heavy burden of debt.
And to whom does France owe this
and all that caused it" Who invaded
and sought to destroy her? Who.
beaten back at last. left nothing but
misery and ruin behind?
The world knows the answer and
divine justice will assess the penalty.
Germany must pay. And she must
pay in full. The Treaty of Versailles
WAS framed not TO be broken or
evadod but to be enforced. No
great treaty in history. received
more anxious or careful con-
sideration through weary months
A great President of the Unit
ed States came to the conference
with The single ambition to do justice
to all He asked for nothing for
America. but he sought a lasting
l
of France and England saw and felt
as he did. They tried to make Il
peace that would end war. Heaven
~ wisdom has not yet descended up
on the earth and the wsest states
men have never been and never will
he infallible. The Treaty of Yer
salles doubtless contains mistakes,
which time will show. but one mis- |
take that was not made was undue
severity to Germany
Il hope with all my heart for future
peace among the nations that peace
of justice which all sought to bring
about at Versailles-for our children
and all who shall come after them |
do not speak in any way for the new
administration at Washington. nor do
| speak for the United States by viz
tue Of a commission which | am
laying down. But if I know the
people. ] voice their scnti- /
ments in saying this: That until :
Germany repairs the evil she had :
done to France, to Belgium. to Italy
and to the world: and until she paws
the debt she owes to civilization to
the last silver, America cannot feel
truly at peace with her. We entered
the war as the friend of France and
friends we remain"