Evening star., 1924-12-15
WILSON SOUGHT TO GIVE FAITH
TO CENTURY, DIR. ALDERMAN SAYS
Virginia University Head
Reviews Ideals of
Dead Leader.
D,UelIs Upon the Heroic
Vision That Inspired
Var President.

u
Woodrow Wilson Sought to give
the twentieth century a faith to in
spire it and to justify the sacrifice
of millions of lives in the great war,
and If there was failure 1t was hu-
manity's failure, DR.. Edwin A. Alder
| man, president of the University of
Virginia, declared at joint congress
sional memorial services for the war
President held today in the chamber
OF the House OF Representatives..
ITO make him, the one undaunted
advocate of those hopes. the scape
goat of world collapse" DR.. Alder
man said, lis to visit upon him in
justice so cruel that it must perish
of It's own reason"
Speaking in the place where Will
son delivered the address that car
rfed his country into the world con-
hict, the University of Virginia head
sketched the life Of the war Presi-
| dent from the time of his birth to
his entrance into the White House
and then reviewed his administra-
ton up to the time of the Paris
conference
Text If Address.
| DR. Alderman then said:
for Europe in December. 1918. Amer
| lean sentiment. irrespective of party
generally approved his declared pur-
pose to incorporate in the treaty of
peace some sort of league covenant
The heart of the time was then in
tune with the age-old dream. The
President of the United States had a
| right to assume that the American
| people were behind him.
:: y :. X
"A list of eminent Americans of all
| parties then in line with that pro-
nouncement in 1918 would be an
Illuminating contribution to the high
| er impulses of that era.
When he returned d different spec
| tacle met his eyes. The great cause
for which he had even then given his life
| had become confused with group
of political policies given by his enc
mics the generic name of wisconsin.
and about this ragged the wrath. de-
| spair and hatred OF the overstrained
time. The tired warrior of the COM
mon good. who had kept the faith,
fought the fight, and won victory.
instead of hearing the acclaim of his
own people. We'll done. thou good
| and faithful servant saw himself
ringed about with foes of mind to
rend and destroy him.
Where Blame Rests.
Il can not give the time here to
| determining whether Wilson himself
was to blame. in tactical judgment
| alone. or how much he was to blame
| for the change in American opinion;
| nor do / deny that honest men op-
posed the league and. the treaty:
nor do ! undertake the task Of
apportioning with nice justice the re-
| ~.
and swelterd venom OF deadlock and
| INDIGESTION. of partizanship and pas
sion, in which for weary months this
! largest question of modern times
| boiled and bubbled. other ages will
make that solemn appraisement I
| may be permitted the reflection that
something less of malice in the
| hearts of his enemies. and something
more of compromise in his own heart.
and something more of political
genius and firm purpose in the hearts
of those who kept the faith. and there
| might have been another world.
It have lately been reading, and
wish all of his countrymen might one
day quietly read. the~S0 speeches
| made by the President on that fate
| full Western tour which he undertook
in September, 1919. in order to secure
from the American people the stamp
of approval which he desired for his
work in Europe and which the Ameri-
can Senate was unwilling to give.
There is no series of political
speeches made under circumstances
of such straip in our annals attaining
higher level of oratory and ex
position. He was forewarned, as he
Jared forth. that his life might be
the forfeit of his enterprise. He re-
piled. 4 would forfeit my life to
attain the end I seek and he meant
it--for he was incapable of melo-
dramatic pose, and the conservation
of that statement runs like a thread
Of gold through the sustained appeal
Undeterred by Pain.
"Cndeterred by the stabbing of
physical pain and falling strength.
Woodrow Wilson here reveals the
scope and depth of his conviction that
national isolation for America or any
! country is forever ended: that the
| outlawry of war is democracy's next
great task; that suicide hovers over
| civilization in the present system Of
| the relation of states and the present
potentialties of destructive warfare; !;
! that the hour has struck for the crea
| tion of o1 instrument to gather be-
| hind it the organized manhood of the
world, bent UPON evolving a clearer
| international conscience, a firmer in
ternational law substituting reason
| for passion in human affairs, and that
! the covenant of the League of Nations
| is such an instrument, if mankind
will but adapt it to it's uses. But ali
| this force and eloquence and martyr
dom were to avail nothing Woodrow
Wilson fell, stricken as if in battle, at
Pueblo. Colo, on September 25, 1919,
and came home Shorn of his un-
matched strength to persuade and
move the hearts of his countrymen
1.-The American Senate, in the plain
discharge of it's constitutional duty,
discussed the treaty for a period of
eight months. during five months of
which period the President struggled
against mortal illness, rejected it on
March 20 and elected to remain out
| side the first organized scheme of
! international cooperation in modern
history.
Prophecy VIII Come True.
THE last words spoken to the
people at Pueblo by the Presiden
| were these: Now that the mists of
| this great question have cleared
away, I believe that men will see
(, the truth, eye to eye and face to face
| There is one thing that the American
people always rise to and extend
| their hand to. and that is the truth
of justice, liberty and peace. We
have accepted that truth, and it is
going to lead us, and through us the
world, out into pastures of quietness
and peace such as this world never
dreamed of before The prophecy of
the stricken advocate of reason has
not yet come true. There are those
who hope and believe that it viii
never come true. 1t Is not seemly
that I should here attempt any con-
troversial discussion; but 1 should
lack the courage Of the man I seek
nf Axs,o oei-