Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1919 — GREAT PEACE CONFERENCE ON [ARTICLE]

GREAT PEACE CONFERENCE ON

President Wilson the Big Man of the Meeting LEAGUE OF NATIONS (ASSURED M. Clemenceau, the French Prime Minister, Is the Presiding Officer —Nominated By Wilson. The great allied peace conference opened auspiciously In Paris last Saturday, with Presfdent Wilson a domlnent figure In the conference. The opening address was made by President Poincare of France, and was a most able presentation of the leading events of the war, in brief, and in which he paid the following tribute to the United States and to President Wilson: “The intervention of the United States was something .uore, something greater than a great political and military event. It was a -supreme judgment (passed at the bar of' history by the lofty conscience of a free people and .their chief magistrate on the enormous responsibilities incurred In the frightful conflict which was lacerating humanity. “It was not only to protect itself from the audacious a-ims of German megalomania that the United States equipped fleets and created immense armies, but also and above all, to defend an ideal of liberty over which it saw the huge shadow of the Imperial .eagle encroaching further every day. Amerlch, the, daughter of Europe, crossed the, ’ ocean to rescue her mother from the huimiilianon of thralldom a'nd to save civilization.’’ President Poincare was followed by President Wilson, who nominated M. Clemenciau 1 as presiding officer of the conference, which nomination was seconded by Lloyd George of England. M. Clemenceau, in accepting the honor, among other things, said:

“President Wilson has special authority to say that this is the first time in fact that the world has ever seen assemibled together a delegation of alb the civilized nations of the earth. “The greater the bloody catastrophe which has devastated and ruined one of the richest parts of France, the greater and more splendid must be the reparation—not only the material reparation, the vulgar reparation, if I dare speak so >4 which is due all of us, but the higher and nobler reparation of the new institution which we will try to establish, in order that nations may at length escape from the embrace of ruinous wars which destroy everything, heap tip ruins, terrorize the [>opulace and prevent them from going freely about their work, for fear of enemies which <may rise up from one day to the next. “It is a great, splendid and noble ambition which has come to all of us. It is desirable that success Should crown our efforts. This can not take place unless we all have firmly fixed and clearly- determined ideas on what we wish to do. “I said, in the chamber a few days ago, and I wish to repeat here, that success is not possible unless we remain fi'itrndy united. We have come together as friends; we •must leave /his hall as friends. “That, gentlemen, is the first thought that corries to me. All else mus| be sub-ordinated to the necessity of a closer and closer union among the nations who have taken part in this great war, apd to the necessity of remaining friends; for the league of nations is here; it is you yourself to make it live, and to make it live we must have it really in our hearts. “As I told President Wilson a few days ago, there is no sacrifice that I am not willing to make in order to accomplish this, syrd I do not doubt that you all have the same sentiment. We will make these sacrificies, but on the condition that we endeavor impartially to conciliate interests apparently contradictory, on the higher plane of a greater, happier and better humanity. “That, gentlemen, is what I had to say to you. I am touched beyond words at the evidence of good-will and friendship Wlfich you show me. “The program of this conference has been laid down by President Wilson. It is no longer the peace of a more or less vast territory; no longer the peace, of continents; it is the peace of nations that is to be made. This program is sufficient in itself. There is no superfluous word. Let us try to act swiftly and well.’’