Show President Poincare I l 11 i Sounds Keynote of f ft t UI Conference POlICY 0 fp t Hl Jan IS Thc The peace conference w was vas s formally opened this Ibis 1 afternoon alter after t. t noon with a speech jy by President ent Poincare of France President Poin- Poin Care Iare closed his address at o'clock President Wilson Vilon stood beside J him as ho he spoke As soon a as 88 the tho French president concluded an interI inter inter- t I preter reread tho address in English 4 President Wilson Vilson in nominating Premier Clemenceau for chairman of or ort t 4 the conference delivered a n. speech in in response to that of President Poin- Poin I and paid tribute to Premier Clemenceau 4 i When he retired President shook bm hands s with President Wilson Yil Wil- Yil I Ison son and the members of the tho delegation i J President Poincare thanked the allied t t nations r for r having chosen chosen Paris for Clr p their Important work and and praised tho thoI Ii I valor of ot the allied armies which had preserved reser th the capital ot oC Fran Franco o from 6 Q the enemy Tho rho presidents president's speech was sas us follows jl Greeting In Ip Given Glnn 18 4 i Gentlemen France Franco greets an and j thanks you OU for tor having chosen bosen ns as the thet t eat of at your lab labors labre rs the city which for fort t more more than four years tho enemy has zade his principal military r objective which the tho valor of oC the allied armies arm- arm ics les has lU victoriously defended against C ln renewed I-renewed offensives It a p I Permit me to see sea in your decision 3 2 the homage of at all the nations that yoU yon Oll represent toward a n countr country which more moro J than any other has endured tho the sufi BUt suf- i s of ot war of oC which entire provInces provInces pro Inces have hn been transformed Into a 3 avast vast ast battlefield ba and nd have ha been t laid 1311 waste by the tho Invader and which has paid the tiLe human tribute in death Franco has borne these enormous u sacrifices although she had hall not the lightest IJ responsibility n. n I tj for x the fright fright- I j t H UV 11 V. V tho the universe And at t the thc moment when hen J tho cycle of at horror Is ending all the 4 powers whoso whose delegates are assembled 4 here ma may acquit themselves cs of oC nn any anyS S I. I share in the crime which has resulted j Sn In BO so unprecedented a disaster What hat Rives O i the tho authority to establish a at t oace Jacc of at Justice Is the ilie fact that none of ot the peoples of wh whom m you OU are re the delegates del- del has had ad any part In the Humanity can place confidence in you ou because you ou are not among those who ho have hae outraged the rights of at hu- hu inanity War IVar ar Plot There Is no need of at further Information mation or of ot special Inquiries into tho the origin of or the drama which had Just shaken haken the world orld The truth bathed n blood bloo has haa already escaped from the imperial archives The premeditated I of ot the trap Is today Cl clearly proved roved ro In In the hope hoe of ot conquering first tho the I hegemony of at Europe anti and next tho the mae miS- tery of ot the world worldS tho the central empires bound together ether by a n. secret plot found the most abominable of pretexts for trying to crush Serbia and force their w way t to trl the east At tho the same time they disowned the most solemn undertakings under under- takings in ord order r to crush Belgium an and force their way Into the heart of oC France are re tho the two unforgettable 1 u 1 IL HID J LU LV UE Tho The combined efforts of f Great Britain France and Russia were wore exerted against that th man made arro- arro cance gance If H after long vicissitude those who to reign b by bt the sword have 0 perished perIshed per per- b by the sword they have o Ja only themselves es to blame Thc They have havo been destroyed b by their own blindness What could be more significant than uthe shameful bargains they attempted to offer to Great Britain and France At the tho end of ot July 1914 when to Great Britain they suggested Allow u us to 10 attack Franco France on land an and wo we 0 will not enter tho channel and when they instructed In- In their ambassador to say Bay to France We will only accept a declaration declaration declaration of ot neutrality on your ur part It If you OU surrender to us BrIs Brisy Foul Toul and ond Ver Yer- dun n It Is In tho the light of or these things I gentlemen that nil the tho conclusions you OU will havo o to draw will take lake shape I T Two Fo o Conflict Your Tour nations camo one ono and all to tl r tho the help of ot threatened right Like Liko German Germany Germany Ger Ger- man many Great Britain had guaranteed the tho Independence of ot Belgium Germany sought to crush Belgium Great Britain lint Brit ain nih and both swore to lo save s. her Thus from the tho very ery be beginning of or hostilities there camo came Into conflict tho the two Ideas which for fifty months to struggle for tor tho the dominion of or the Hie world world the the idea of ot sovereign 80 force w which accepts neither control nor and tho the Idea of ot Justice which depends on the tho sword only to prevent pre or repress tho the abuse of ot strength Faithfully supported by ly her Ions loiis Great Britain decided flo llIo iio could not remain aloof fr from m the struggle Japan in her turn turn only decided to take to-take mice talce up arms out of loyalty to Great Britain lint Brit am ain her hor great all ally and from tho the consciousness con con- s of tho the danger In which both Asia sia and E ropo would have ha stood of the tho hegemony of ot which the Gor Germanic empl empires re dreamed I Italy arose against an long age-long foe only to answer tho the call of oC oppressed i p population and to destroy political political po po- po combination which took no account account account ac ac- ac- ac count of or human lIbert liberty Rumania rum resolved to fl fight ht only to that national unity which was opposed b by the tho same sarno arbitrary force orce Abandoned betrayed and strangled she had to submit to an aU ab treat treaty the revision of or which you OU will exact Greece whom the enemy for man many months tried to turn from her traditions traditions and destinies raised d an arm army only to escape attempts at ot domination Portugal Portus China and Slam abandoned neutrality only to escape strangling pressure German Arouses Arona Thus it was tho the extent of at German ambitions that brought BO so man many peoples peoples peo peo- ples pies great and anti small to align them them- solves against tho the same sanio adversary nd And what shall I say of at the solemn solomn resolutions reso rOlo- tal taken en by tho the United States Inthe in inthe inthe the spring of ot 1917 1917 under the tho auspices of Its Us Illustrious President Mr Ir Wilson Ilson whom I am happy to greet s-reet here In tho the name of ot grateful Franco France and If it you OU will Allow me mo to say BO so gentlemen In Inthe Inthe inthe the name namo of all tho the nations represented lu Li this room What shall I st say stat of at tho the many other American J powers which either declared themselves against s Germany Germany German Brazil Cuba Panama Guatemala Nicaragua Honduras or Honduras or at least brul broke oft off diplomatic relations la Bolivia P Peru u Be Ec Ecuador Ecuador Ec- Ec Uruguay Urus-ua From Irom tho the north to tho the soUth the now nov wOrld arose with indignation Indignation Indig indig- nation nallon when It taw saw the empires of oC central central contral cen con Europe after ln ha having let tho the war without provocation carr carry It on an with fire fIre pillage and massacre In Jn tho thu Intervention Inter of the tho United ll States State was something more something greater rel than a great political and military mil mU- event It was a supreme judgment passed b by y the loft lofty conscience of or a 3 tree free people on the enormous re responsibilities re- re Incurred In the frightful con conflict fi i c tIt t. t It was as not only to protect Itself from Crom the tho audacious alms aims of oC German megalomania that the tIle United States equipped fleets and created Immense armies but also and above o all all to de defend do- do fend rend an ideal of ot liberty over o which it saw tho huge hugo shadow of oC tho the Imperial eagle encroaching further er c every day America tho the daughter of or 1 Europe crossed tho the ocean to rescue her from om and to ta save O civilization 1101 of or War Yar or J. J Looted 0 01 f II The Tho American people wished to end tho the greatest scandal that has over ever sullI sullied sul sul- lI lied d the annals of ot mankind Autocratic Autocratic Autocratic Auto Auto- cratic governments s having ha prepared In secrecy a mad program pros of oC universal sal sat dominion let Itt loose their packs atthe atthe at atthe the time fixed by their genius for Cor In Intrigue In- In trI ue and sounded tho the horns for the thu chase ordering science at the very time it was beginning to bring men closer an and make mako life sweeter to leave leavo the tho bright sk sky to toward ard which It was soaring and anti to place Itself Itsel submissively at tho the service ser of ot violence debasing tho the religious religious reli rell- Idea Mea to the extent of or making God Cod the complacent auxiliary of oC their heir passions pas pas- stone tHone and antI tho the accomplice of at their crimes crimes In In short counting as ns nought ht tho the traditions and wills of or people peoples the tho lives lI of oC citizens the honor o of women and all nil those principles of at public and private ato morality which wo we have havo end endeavored endeavored en en- d to o keep keel unaltered throughout l h u n n Ih UL industries can repudiate or disregard with Impunity I While tho the conflict was gradually extending the clanking of ot chains was heard and captive o nationalities from tl their ch long age Jails cried out to us for help Yes more the they escaped to come como cometo comoto cometo to our aid aill I Poland came to lito life again an anti and sent tent us troops The Tho Czecho won their right to Independence in Siberia in Franco France and In Hal Italy The Tho Slavs Jugo-Slavs tho Armenians the Syrians and Levan Levan- tines Ines tho the Arabs all tho the victims long IonS helpless or resl resigned ned of oC tho the historic deeds of at Injustice all tho the martyrs of oC tho the past all aU tho the outraged In conscience all tho the strangled In n liberty turned turnell to toUs tous tous us as their natural defenders War nr Crusade Tho The war w gradually attained the fullness fullness full tull- ness of oC Its first sl significance and became be became became be- be j came In th the full sense of at tho the term a a. crusade crusado of ot humanity for rl right bt and If IC I anything can cnn console consolo us in part at least for tho losses wo we have ha suffered it is assuredly tho the thought that our Ictor victory also Is the victory of oC right In tho Interest of Justice and peace It flO now no rests reMs with you to reap from this victory Its Us full Cull fruits In lit order to carr carry carryout carryout out this immense task you rou hay have de decided do- do to admit at first 1 01 the allied or associated powers and Insofar n as their Interests are Involved ohe in tho de debates do- do bates tho the nations which remained neutral neu neu- You have havo thought that the ma of oC peace ought to bo be settled among ourselves before the thc they are firo communicated to those against whom we wo hive o fou fought ht the good The solidarity which has enabled us to win military mUllan success ou ought ht to re remain remain remain re- re main unimpaired during the tho negotiations negotiations for fOI and after tho the signing of the treat trea treaty ty It is not only the governments but buttree free tree who are represented here herc To ro the tho test of C danger they have havo learned I to know ow and help one ono another The They want their Intimacy o of yesterday to te toas as assure uro tho the peace of tomorrow Vainly our enemies seek seel to divide n ni as S If the they have havo not yet et renounced their cu customary tomary maneuvers maneu tho they wilt will soon L find that the they aro meeting lo today a a as thA h n a v block which nothing will be able ablo to tc disintegrate Even Een before the thc tico lIco you readied that necessary unity un under er tho the aid of at the lofty moral and political truths of or which President Wilson Wil il 11 ilson son has nobly made mudo himself tho ho interpreter interpreter inter Inter- preter and in the tho light of these thee truths you ou intend to tu accomplish your our mission Alone Sou Sought ht You will therefore seek eel but Justice Justice that has no favorite favor tavor- ites ite Justice in territorial problems Justice in financial problems Justice In economic problems But Justice Is not inert it does docs not submit to injustice lIce What It demands first when It has been violated are arc restitution and reparation for the tho peoples and Individuals who have havo been despoiled In formulating this lawful cl claim m It obeys neither hatred hatred ha ha- tred trod nor nn an instinctive or thoughtless desire for Cor reprisals It pursues a twofold twofold twofold two two- fold object object to to rend render r to each his duo and not to encourage crime by leaving It unpunished What hat Justice also demands Inspired Inspirer b by tho samo earno feeling is the tho punishment of ot tho the guilty and effective guarantees against an active return of the spirit b by which the they aro arc prompted and arid It is logical to demand that these guarantees guaran guaran- tees toes should be given above o all all to the nations that might again be most ex exposed exposed ex- ex posed to aggression What hat hat Justice banishes Is the tho dream of ot conquest and Imperialism contempt for national will tho the arbitrary exchange ex- ex change of at provinces between states as U though peoples were but articles of oC furniture or pawns In u a game same The Tho time 11 ia is no more moro when diplo diplo- could meet to redraw the map ot of empires on tho the corner of a a t table ble If It you aro are to remake the map of or of the tho world It Is In ho he namo of or the peoples and one condition Is that you OU shall faithfully Interpret their thoughts and anti respect the right of oC nations small amaH and I great to dispose of at themselves es and to reconcile with this Hils the equally sacred d rl right night ht or at ethnical l and religious minori ties a ties a formidable task asIc which science and Uld history your two to will contribute con con- tribute to and facilitate Security for tor All 11 Au Sought You will naturally strive to secure tho material and l moral means of subsistence sub sub- for tor all t people who are constituted or reconstituted Into states I for or those thom who wish to unite to their thel neighbors for those thoRo who lio reorganize themselves for those who divide themselves them then selves sel according to their rc regained traditions tra tm- and lasU lastly for Cor nil all those whose hO E freedom you OU p ha alrea already sanctioned ll or ur aro are about to sanction You will not call them into existence to sentence them to death Immediately because you OU would your our work warle to bo bl fruitful fruitful fruitful fruit fruit- ful and lusting lasting WIllie While Introducing In tho the world orM as much harmony harmon as possible you OU will In in- in conformity with I ho lijo fourteenth o of tho the propositions proposition unanimously I adopted ed d edby db b by tho the great allied powers establish a general league of ot nations which will willbo willbo bo bc the tho supreme guaranty guarante a against any fresh assault upon the tho |