Repository: UIHistories Project: Convocation - 1921 (Armistice Day) [PAGE 9]

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I his ,«..: : on, international I, illation sincethe war hai been I toward .uci oopcat.on, Inn toward greatei If a lertion' [t has emphasized, not our connection with otlu-, nations, hut our lolation fro, thorn 1. has been, noi international idealism, but nal < ononm individualism,

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. France. l t a h . and the United States—seemed like a single that November day three years ago because the dominatQg d re t each ot us was identical. li" any dominating desire ,-. Id have remained identical, we should seem like a single force lav. But none could so remain. In that statement lies the diffiCillty of internationalism. We did n i quarrel stupidly over any "division of spoils." There were no spoils to divide. The war left us badly off. Its enormous c traction had engulfed Germany, almost engulfed France and 11a 1 , left En land and the United States on a far less sound economic footing than betore. Each nation's eagerness was for reo h a b i t a t i o n . But the rehabilitation of each had to be, to some extent, at the expense of every other. And particularly, the rehabilitation of the Kuropean countries had to be at the expense of the I'nited States. We united in the war because we all wanted the same thing—th defeat of Germany who threatened the world. We parted after the ar because we found ourselves on different economic levels and no nation which was higher wished to sink. Germany owed France, and Franc owed England, and England and France and Italy all owed t If France had forgiven the debt of Germany, and England in time had forgiven the debt of France and we had forgiven the debts |] th i >pean nations, an equalization might have been effected, we are told, But in that case Germany would have been placed on the ec nomic level of France and France would not endure that for a i nei . When economic theories come into conflict with a passion that i born of fear and suffering, economic theories do not stand a chance. France wanted her rights, and insisted on them; every other iation promp tly wanted its and insisted on them except Germany and \. ria ho had neither rights nor the power to insist. It was a vru d ramble. Our representatives were present at that part of it which , ( Hed the Conference of Versailles but we as a nation took no part in it; we merely reserved our rights, and have been reserving ti m ever since. § |; jt as for international cooperation, that ceased, as I have said, , th' united victory prevailed, and the divided hope of ued e on fiic existence took its place. Internationalism, it ( li