TION IN WAR AND PEACE

By common consent of the Entente Allies, President Wilson was made the
spokesman for the democracy of the world. As Lloyd George, Premier
Clemenceau of France, Premier Orlando of Italy, and other Europeans
recognized, his utterances most clearly and cogently expressed the
principles for which civilization was battling against the Hun. More
than that, these statesmen and the peoples they represented recognized
that back of President Wilson were the high ideals of an America pledged
to the redemption of a war-weary world.

The war produced a sterility in literature. Out of the great mass that
was written, however, two productions stood out in their nobility of
thought and in their classic directness of expression. These were the
address before Congress by President Wilson on the night of April 2,
1917, when, recognizing fully the dread responsibility of his action, he
pronounced the words which led America into the World War, and the
speech made by him on Monday, November 11, 1918, when addressing
Congress he announced the end of the war. Other declarations of the
President that will be treasured as long as democracy survives, are
those enunciating the fourteen points upon which America would make
peace, and two later declarations as to America's purposes.

His address of April 2d was delivered before the most distinguished
assemblage ever gathered within the hall of the House of
Representatives. The Supreme Court of the United States, headed by the
Chief Justice, every member of the embassies then resident in
Washington, the entire membership of the House and Senate, and a host of
the most distinguished men and women that could crowd themselves into
the great hall, listened to what was virtually America's Declaration of
War.

The air was still and tragic suspense was upon every face as the
President began his address. At first he was pale as the marble rostrum
against which he leaned. As he read from small sheets typewritten with
his own hand, his voice grew firmer and the flush of indignation and of
resolution overspread his countenance. He said:

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS:

I have called the Congress into extraordinary session because there are
serious, very serious, choices of policy to be made, and made
immediately, which it was neither right nor constitutionally permissible
that I should assume the responsibility of making.

On the third of February last I officially laid before you