Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-18

OF humanity first" this visipn OF
as a great servant OF the
world, began TO be superseded by
the new slogan, America first"
Wilson's Faith in America
In spite Of all this the President
still felt all the intensity of his
faith that he was truly voicing
the real longings and aspirations
OF the people of the world, that
he really had the people with him,
and that if opposition appeared he
had only to speak 10 them and
they would rise to his support.
He had an almost pathetic belief
in the people and in America. In
one OF the greatest speeches he
made in Europe, that at the Sor.
bonne at Paris, Jan. 25, 1919 (ten
days after the Peace Conference
opened), he expressed again his
belief that "the select classes of
mankind are no longer the gov.
ernors Of mankind. The fortunes
OF mankind are now in the hands
of the plain people Of the world.
Satisfy them and you have justi-
fed their confidence not only. but
have established peace. Fail TO
satisfy them, and no arrangement
that you can make will either set
up or steady the peace Of the
world"
He also felt that the people. the
plain people" OF the United
States were also with him.
You can imagine" he saws in
the same address, "the sentiments
and the purposes with which the
representatives of the United
states support this great project
for a League of Nations. We re-
gard II as the keynote of the
whole, which expresses our pur-
poses and ideals in this was and
winch the associated nations have
accepted as the basis Of a settle
ment.
II we return to the United
States without having made every
effort in our power to realize this
program, we should return TO meet
the merited scorn OF our fellow
citizens. For they are a body that
constitute great democracy.
They expect their leaders to speak.
their representatives TO be their
servants"
1t would be mistake to think
that Wilson was not aware of the
struggle before him. He said as
far back as July. 1917: Peace
cannot be had without concession
and sacrifice" And in the not
able conference which he held
with the american experts on the
Ieorge Washington during tha
first voyage from America. he not
only expressed his anticipation Of
future difficulties but declared
with great force his determination
TO face "a task of terrible proper
| tions.
Anticipating the difficulties OF
the conference in view of the sug-
/ gestion he has made respecting
the desires OF the people of the
world for a new order, he re-
marked: II it won't work. il must,
be made TO work. because the
world was faced by a task OF ter
rible proportions. and only the
adoption of a cleansing process
would recreate or regenerate the
world. The poison OF Bolshevisn
was accepted readily because it s
a protest against the way in which
the world mas worked. 1t was TO
be our business at the peace con-
ference to fight for a new order.
'agreeably If we can, disagreeaDly
/ If We must.
But he had such profound
faith in the power OF moral ideas
and in the willingness OF the
plain people" to do right, once
they knew what the right was
and had not the whole world ac-
cepted his principles as the basis
OF the peace?-that he went into
the peace conference with undated
confidence. In any events, and no
matter what the opposition. he
was prepared 10 make the fight.
This spirit was what the people
of Europe so clearly sensed. He
meant il terribly" And Of all
the leaders there. he was. by vir-
tue OF the American system of
electing a President for a speci-
nc term Of years, the only one free
from fierce momentary waves of
popular feeling Lloyd George
had out-Wilsoned Wilson in his
application Of the idea OF self-de-
termination in January. 1915
for it was then the winning slogan
OF the world-but in December,
1918, he was cOntesting an cleo
ton on a very different sloganl
But the President had laid down
his principles: and stood upon
them. 1T is our business at the
Peace Conference" he said. to
hight for a new order. agreeably
IL we can, disagreeably if we
must"
Mr.. BaltoHP. who beyond any
other man who PLAYED a great
part in the Peace Conference was
able 70 maintain the somewhat
ironical view OF detached OBJ =.
server OF events, remarked on Nov.
rs:
1T is going 20 be a rough-and-
tumble affair. this Peace Confer
cnce,"