The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-04
WOODROW WILSON'S PLACE IN
HISTORY

Christian SHUTS Premier OF the
Union of South Africa.
Pretoria, South Africa January s,
la2l.-lt has been suggested that ]
should write a short estimate and
appraisal of the work OF President
Wilson on The termination OF his
Presidency OF the United States OF
America. feel ] must coNply vi
the suggestion. l feel I may not re-
main silent when there is an oppor-
tunity TO say a word Of appreciation
for the work of one with whom
came into close contact at a great
period and who rendered the most
signal service TO the great human
cause.
There is a great saying of Momn-
sen Il believel in reference TO the
close of Hannibal's career in failure
and eclipse. lon those whom the gods
love they lavish infinite joys and in
finite sorrows 1t has come back to
my mind in reference to the close OF
Wilson's career. For few brief
moments he was not only the lead
er of the greatest state in the world /;
re was raised to far giddier heights
ard became the centre of the worlds
hopes And then he fell, misunder-
stood and rejected by his own peo-
md his great career closes
!a4 chti9 III SlSndi anu doSShS uC-
feat.
hat is the explanation OF this
tremendous tragedy. which is not
sciely American, which closely con
Germs the whole world? OF course
there are purely American elements
in the explanation which l am not
competent to speak on. But besides
the American quarrel with Presi-
dent Wilson there is something to
he said on the great matters in is
sue. On these | may be permitted
TO say few words.
The position occupied by Presf-
dent Wilson in the worlds imagi-
nftion az the close CT the Great Wal
and at the beginning of the Peace
Conference was terrible in it's great
ness. II was a terrible position fol
any mere man to occupy. Probably
to no human being in all history did
tie homes, the prayers, the aspira
tions of so many millions Of his fell
lows turn with such poignant in
teasity as TO him at the close of the
war At a tine of the deepest dark
ness and desnajr. he had raised aloft
light 10 which all ewes had turned
h had spoken divine words Of
hCaline and consolation 10 a broken
hr-r anitv Ills lccty moral idealism
seemed for -Tomant to dominate
~ brutal rHsr'ons which had tori
the old world asunder And he was
supposed TO possess the secret which
would rensake the world on fairel
li-es. The peace which Wilson was
f.ineing to the world was expected
crushed: brute forces had failed ut
ta-:lv The moral character of the
universe had been most signally
INDICATED There was universe
vague hope of a great moral peace
of a new world order arising visiblI
and Immediately on the ruins of the
old. This hope was not mere SUI
perfcial sentiment. It was the in.
tense expression at the end of the
war of the inner moral and spiritua
force which had upborne the peoples
during the dark night of the war an(
had nerved them to an effort almos
w, God had teen with them in tha
long night Of agony His was the
victory; His should be the peace
And President Wilson was looked
upon as the man to make this great
peace. The idealism of Wilson would
ideals of the new order: his great
utterances had become the contrac-
Itual basis for the armistice and the
peace The idealism of Wilson would
.FNfeiy DSCOlUG Inc Tedilty Vi the new
CIDER of things in the Peace Treaty
IN this atmosphere of extravagant
almost frenzIed expectation he ar,
rived at the Paris Peace Conference
Without hesitation he plunged into
that inferno OF human passions. He
went down into the Pit like second
Heracles to bring back the fair AL.
cestis of the worlds desire. There
were six months of agonized wait.
ing during which the world situation
rapidly deteriorated. And then he
emerged with the Peace Treaty. Il
was not a Wilson Peace, and he
made a fatal mistake in somehow
giving the impression that the peace
was in accord with his Fourteen
Points and his various declarations
Not so the world had understood
him. This was a Public peace, the
same sort of peace as the victor
had dictated to the vanquished fol
thousands of years. 1t was not AL.
cestis it was haggard unlove
woman with features distorted witt
hatred greed, and selfishness ant
the little Child that the Woman car.
ried was scarcely noticed Yet Il
was for the saving of the Child thai
Wilson had labored until he was 9
,hysfcal wreck. Let our other great