Edvard Beneš

“ For us, for Czechoslovakia, President Wilson is inseparably joined to the struggle for our freedom. In spite of the fact that it has an American colouring, the whole of his philosophy, his democratic ideals and his moral principles are and will remain near to us, for this philosophy was the ideological basis for our fight for freedom and it must be our foundation on which alone the whole of our State can stand in the future. ”

“ That is what history will say.
Wilson provides us with a full picture of his personality in his writings: he had great intellectual power and a highly-gifted logical and deductive mind. According to the majority of critics he lacked the intuitive power which characterizes men of the highest genius, but on the other hand by his intellectual capacity he ranks amongst the greatest Americans who have ever lived. He was deeply humanitarian and possessed real religious feeling: humanity was a reality which he consistently lived out in his own life. ”

“ Despotisms of all kinds are disappearing and will disappear more and more from society. The power of the majority and the principle of the majority in general is the characteristic sign of modern society; the art of the statesman today consists in calling forth, supporting, and at the same time guiding this new force.
These are two great, and yet simple, principles of Wilson’s political philosophy and we meet with them all through his practical political work. ”

“ It is a witness to the great moral strength of this great man that he managed to develop himself, instruct others, change his views, gain new knowledge of Europe, its oppressed peoples and their aims and advance from merely American to world interests. ”

“ It is obvious that right up to the time when America was driven step by step into the War he formed his conception concerning the basis of the War, the Central Powers, their doctrines and opinions, the absolutism and aristocratism of these States and nations, their methods of fighting, and, in general, the ideological foundation of the entire world-conflict. ”

“ And so in his Notes he soon spoke of securing a definitive peace and in the spirit of his ideals of American democracy he formulated the ideas of the League of Nations.
Finally: Wilson’s place in the War is also determined by the fact that he represented a State which with its material strength has stood and stands in the foremost place in the world so that at last it decided the War owing to the physical exhaustion of the other States. When history comes to judge Wilson’s work, it will ask whether and why Wilson was really a great man. The present time values the great President very highly. ”

“ Entering the struggle of views concerning the right principles for the education of the young he formulated his philosophy in a modern, clear and simple fashion as follows: the essential in the education of the individual must be that which brings about social utility and not that which helps forward merely the personal advantage of the individual. ”

“ Our people understood and appreciated President Wilson and his native land. He was for long their strengthening consolation and hope, their helper and friend, and today he will be their model of a citizen and a democrat.
A great American and a great man is dead, a man to whose work we owe a great dea in our fight for freedom. He will long live in the memory of us all!
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929. ”

“ He strongly emphasizes the principle of authority and yet on the other hand he stresses the democratic nature of modern society: the Government must possess authority, but that authority must have its roots in the true will of the people. ”