purpose, and commits each party to a certain policy of conduct to be followed in its relations with the other party or parties. Once committed to such an agreement, the nations would naturally proceed to the drawing up and enactment of a code of laws designed to give the general agreement application to every problem or dispute that might arise.

The covenant proposed by President Wilson's committee of the "preliminary" Peace Conference put the nations that might sign it in the position of equal part

trolling their relations with each other for the good of the Union.

Compressing into a few lines of type the substance of the twenty-six articles of the proposed covenant, it may be said that this important document urged, as a means to preservation of peace, the establishment of an assembly of delegates from the memberstates, with machinery for directing the relations of member-states with each other and with non-member nations in all matters affecting the peace and freedom of the world. A study of the document showed

that the core of it was the endeavor to prevent secret acts that might lead to war, and that the means of prevention was publicity and open discussion.

The proposal of the covenant left many matters of vital importance still unsettled; but it gave the discussion definite form and direction. The conference had rendered service of the utmost value by directing its deliberations into this channel instead of indulging in a scramble for new power and territory by the representatives of the governments involved.

GERMANY'S EDUCATION IN

DEMOCRACY BEGINS

COUNT VON BERNSTORFF spoke, early in February, about Germany's interest in the Twentieth Century Reformation. Germany, he said, was in favor of a League of Nations based upon President Wilson's Fourteen Points. Imperialism must be ended; all economic barriers must be removed. Germans had no interest in Russia, except to have Germany protected from invasion from the east. Germany was prepared to pay for damage done in Belgium-so far as it could be proved to

have been the result of German aggression! East Prussia must not be given to Poland. The Germans were not guilty of causing the war-though they had, he admitted, made some "mistakes."

Now, that utterance of Von Bernstorff's, deep and crafty in its intention, was characteristically sly, and characteristically stupid. It represented the plotting of the Junkers, the class that dragged Germany into the war, and lost the war for Germany by underestimating the spirit and the strength of America. It is the class that has already begun plotting for renewal of this war or preparations for a later war; that is hop

Underwood & Underwood FRIEDRICH EBERT, PRESIDENT OF GERMANY

ing to win for Germany, defeated in the field, a victory in trade and commerce.

But fortunately, while these people were going their foolish and dangerous way, the German people as a whole was learning its painful lesson. The National Assembly met, with Dr. Eduard David, a leader of the Social-Democratic party, as its president, and with a number of women among its members. It adopted a constitution, and elected as President of Germany Herr Friedrich Ebert, a former harness-maker, socialist leader, and head of the temporary government that came into power after the flight of the defeated kaiser.

When the term of the armistice expired, and Germany had to choose between renewal and rejection of the more severe terms imposed by the Allies, the Cabinetso it was reported-was in favor of refusing to sign; but the political leaders finally overcame this mad purpose, and the armistice was renewed. Germany agreed to suspend operations against the Poles, and to give up a large part of the province of Posen.

It is said that the representatives of the German people listened "in agonized silence" while the head of the German armistice delegation read the "humiliating" document. Americans wasted no sympathy upon these victims of national defiance of the rest of the world's welfare.

Germany, they thought, should have justice-but only at the fair price of full atonement for her sins. These had been immeasurably great. Payment for their consequences, to the nations that had whipped the international bully, should be in proportion. Germany must work out her own salvation.

THE PRESIDENT'S RETURN

TWELVE weeks after his departure from New York, President Wilson landed at Boston-and it was a great day for the Hub! Party politics was forgotten for a few hours, and Massachusetts, acting for the nation, gave him a rousing welcome.

There had been so much confusion and conflict of ideas here at home, in private talk, newspaper report, and public discussion, that the country was eager to hear from Mr. Wilson, its chief representative at the Peace Conference. So his speech at Mechanics' Hall, in Boston, was read the next morning in every town and city in all the States.

The President brought a wonderful report of Europe's feeling toward America. He spoke of the respect for American ideals. He declared that "there is no nation in Europe that suspects the motives

of the United States." He told how the Allies had been moved by the way our soldiers fought, "acting" the ideals. which the nation held. America, he said, is regarded as the friend of humanity, standing not for political ambitions, but for peace and freedom.

"And now," he asked, "do you realize that this confidence we have established throughout the world imposes a burden on us?-if you choose to call it a burden. It is one of those burdens which any nation might be proud to carry. Any man who resists the present tides that run in the world will find himself thrown upon a shore so high and barren that it will seem as if he had been separated from his human kind forever." Without taking up in detail the matters involved in the formation of a League of Nations, the President expressed very clearly his belief as to the need of it when he said that peace made in the old way could not last, and that the nations which stand for democratic liberty must unite their forces for its maintenance.

Those who heard Woodrow Wilson in Boston, did not feel any less ready to listen to honest and intelligent criticism of the work our American delegates have been doing in the Peace Conference. And during his week's stay in this country very vigorous objections to the League stipulations, as published, were voiced in Congress and the newspaper press. The President spoke again in advocacy of his plans on March 4th, and sailed for France the next morning. It is too early, as yet, even to attempt any detailed forecast of the League covenant in its final form.

THROUGH THE WATCHTOWER'S TELESCOPE

IN the February WATCH TOWER We quoted "the words of General Pershing, as he stood before the statue of the great Frenchman, 'Lafayette, we are here.'" A friend of ST. NICHOLAS reminds us that the words were spoken in the Picpus cemetery at Lafayette's grave, which is covered by a flat slab-the statue being elsewhere,

The letter of correction adds: "The man who said 'France came to us when America fought for her independence. We have not forgotten. Lafayette, we are here,' was not General Pershing, but another American officer, who spoke 'in the name of General Pershing and ten million conscripts.'

An editorial article in the New York "Evening Post" says: "When General Pershing stood at the tomb of Lafayette and said, "Lafayette, we are here," '—so begins a sentence from President Wilson's speech before the French Chamber. Thus is given the decisive authority of a President who is also an historian to what may possibly be a complete historical untruth. The earliest reports of the famous phrase did not put it in Pershing's mouth. In a speech by Georges Leygues, published in France early in 1918, it is stated that Colonel Stanton, standing at the tomb in the Picpus cemetery, uttered the words."

We do not like to make mistakes. We try to be correct. But we do not pretend to be infallible, and we are sincerely glad to be corrected by our friends when we fall into error. In this instance, however, we are not quite so much interested in the authorship of the phrase as in the fact of its utterance. The words were those of America to France; and as America and France stand side by side in peace as they did in war, we trust there may be everlasting evidence of the truth of our statement: "It will be long before those words cease to echo in French hearts."

AN Ithaca, New York, boy won first honors in the Boy Scout W. S. S. campaign by selling $77,165.25 worth of War Stamps and Thrift Stamps in 1918. A splendid record of service! Boys who could not match these remarkable figures will not begrudge this chap his brilliant achievement, any more than he would wish to have credit withheld from the rest of the 250,000 fellows who made total sales amounting to $42,227,260.50. Everybody worked, and the result was magnificent.