The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-03-02


and resolutely. They believe in the
power Of the spirit, in the goodness
which is at the heart OF things, in
the triumph which is in store for the
great moral ideals OF the race. But
this faith only too often leads to IN
optimism which is sadly and fatally
at variance with actual RESULTS. It. is
the realist and not the idealist who
is generally justified by events. We
forget that the human spirit. The
spirit Of goodness and truth in the
world, is still only an infant crying
in the night, and That the struggle
with darkness is as yet mostly an IN
equal struggle.
Paris proved this terrible truth once
more. 1t was not Wilson who failed
there, but humanity itself. II was not
the statesmen that failed, so much as
the slHrit of the peoples behind them.
The hope, the aspiration for new
world order of peace and right and
justice-hOwever deeply and uniYer-
sally felt was still only feeble and
ineffective in comparison with the
dominant national passions which
found their expression in the Peace
Treaty. Even if Wilson had been
one OF the great demi-gods OF the hui
man race, he could not have saved the
Peace. knowing the Peace Confer
ence as ! knew il from within, | feel
convinced in my own mind that not
the greatest man born OF woman in
the history of the race would have
saved that situation. The great Hope
Was not the heralding of the coming
dawn. as the peoples thought. but
only dim intimation of some far of
event towards which we shall vel
have to make many long weary
march. Sincerely as we believed in
the moral ideals for which We had
fought, the temptation at Paris OF
large booty to be divided proved too
great. And in the end not only the
leaders but the peoples preferred a
bit of booty here, 4 stragetic frontier
there, coal field or an oil well. and
addition TO their population or their
resources--to all the faint allure
mentS of the ideal. AS | said at the
time, the real Peace was still to come
and it could only come from Il new
spirit in the peoples themselves.
= =
What was really saved at Paris was
the Child--the Covenant of the Lea
que of Nations. The political realists
who had their eyes on the loot were
prepared-hOWeVer reluctantly - to
throw that innocent little sop to Pres
ident Wilson and his fellow idealists.
After all, there was not much harm
in it, it threatened no present national
interest, and it gave greatpleasure to
number Of good impractical people
in most countries. Above all, Pres
ident Wilson had 10 be conciliated,
and this was the last and the great
est of the fourteen Points on which
he had set his heart and by which he
was determined TO stand or fall. And
so he got his way. But it is a fact
that only man of his great power
and influence and logged determine
ton could have carried the Covenant
through that Peace Conference. 9th.
ers had seen with him the great
vision, others had perhaps given
more thought to the elaboration OF the
great plan. But his was the power
and the will that carried it through.
The Covenant is Wilson's souvenir to
the future of the world. No one will
ever deny him that honor.
The Aonor is very great, indeed for
the Covenant is one of the great crea-
tive documents of human history. The
Peace Treaty will fade into merciful
oblivion. and its provisions will be
gradually Obliterated by the great hui
man tides sweeping over the world.
But the Covenant will stand as sure
as fas. FoIay-two nations gathered
round Ii at the first meeting OF the
League at Geneva. And the day is
not far of when all the free peoples
of the world will gather round 1t. 1t
must succeed, because there is no
other way for the future OF civilZa-
ton. 1t does not realize the great
hopes born of the war, but it pro-.
vides the only method and instru-
ment by which in the course OF time
those hopes can be realized. Speak
ing as one who has some right to
speak on the fundamental concep-
lions, objects, and methods OF the
Covenant, ! feel sure that most of the
present criticism is based OH misun-
derstandings. The misunderstanding
will clear away, one by one the peo-
pies still outside the Covenant will
fall in behind this banner. under
which the human race Is going to
march forward to triumphs of peace
full organization and achievement un-
dreamt of by us children of an unhap-
pier era. And the leader who. in spite
Of apparent failure, succeeded in in
scribing his name on that banner has
achieved the most enviable and en-.
during Immortality. Americans of the
future will yet proudly and gratefully
rank him with Washington and Lin
coin. and his fame will have a more
universal significance than theirs.
The most delicate. the most sensi-
BILE, of all pleasures consists in pro-
noting the pleasures of others.--La
| nruvoro