February 15th

In his speech at the Plenary Session yesterday, moving the adoption of the League of Nations resolution, the President said things that were far from welcome to the ears of many listeners here as well as in Washington. He made it quite plain that he was not inclined to “pull his punches.” He repeated what he had said at the first Conclave but with increased emphasis. “The United States in entering the war never for a moment thought it was intervening in the politics of Europe, Asia, or of any part of the world. Therefore the United States would feel that its part in the war had been played in vain if there ensued upon it merely a body of European settlements. It would feel that it could not take part in guaranteeing those European settlements unless that guarantee involved the continuous superintendence of the peace of the world by the associated nations of the world.” And he concluded by saying: “If 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. . . . We should not dare to abate a single item of the program which constitutes our instructions. … We are here to see, in short, that the very foundations of this war are swept away. . . . The representatives of the United States are never put to the embarrassment of choosing a way of expediency because they have laid down for themselves the unalterable lines of principle.”

Once again the President proclaimed himself a crusader. Once again he pointed to the Holy Land of Peace still far ahead. There was great applause, but there were some blank faces too. Our Richard the Lion-hearted will be confronted, is confronted, with a paynim host. The Colonel was moved to tears, and he was not the only one who showed deep emotion as they shook the President by the hand. “You have raised a standard to which all men of good will should repair,” said Lord Robert Cecil. “Should?” That word was well chosen, but to me it had an ominous sound.