The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-10
DECLARES PRUDENCE
Restraints WILSON
journal dcs Debats' Says Pope
Also Has Overlooked Ills
"Simplc Duty"
81. 8. BOUND by TREATIES
Sssotsi Cable DssssseA 10 TIVE Sos.

Special Cable Dsspsseh to TIVE scS.
PARIS, Dec. 9.-In h Journal des
Dsbats, one Of the few Paris papers
which comment on President Wilson's
message, NJ. 0auvain, IL political writer.
takes issue with President Wilson on the
duty Of the United States to remain $50
lated In the European struggle.
As the United States. a. we'll a. The
b eiligerents, IL bound BY treaties on the
regulation Of International conflicts and
the rights Of war; NJ. 0auvain says,
the violation Of the neutrality OF Bel
Rium and Luxembourg. the u~nprovoked
declaration Of war on France. the sys-
.ematic arson. destruction and assassi-
nation In Belgium constitute for all the
signatories so many grievances against
Germany.
"Mr. Wilson'S policy Of isolation 10 all
the more unjustiiable, AZ Washington
has taken the initiative in various inter-
national arrangements regarding arpi-
tration, the rights Of nations. neutral
and belligerent, during the war. A con-
summAte jurist like President Wilson 10
especially qualified to formulate . strik-
ing protest against the German HE
g~alities n assassinations.
awe IN no way question the good faith
Of President Wilson or the Pops. but Ne
are obliged to recognize that the preoc-
cupation OF prudence and opportunism
has outweiGhed simple duty with each.
Moral authority over the world largely
depends on the risks to which the total
fulnllmsnt Of duty exposes one. IT u
certain to-day that neither President
Wilson nor tho Pope will enjoy the sams
prestige when a general peace 10 made
that he would have enjoyed u ne q
raised his voice In August, lSl@, ana
va rio,,a tinrAs aiorAV
After Diminishing tho neutrality part
Of the message, as "colorless." tho Jo%r-
nal des Debats says:
The energetic and vehement denun-
citation Of '~hyphenated citizens IL ex.
pressed as severely ~ could be wished"
In connection with Mr.. Wilson's ref
erence to that little. but heroic nation
that In a high day Of old staked its very
life to free Itself from every entangie-
ment that had darkened the fortunes Of
the older nations and set up a now
standard" on American soil. the Jour.
nal des Deb0fs says:
That nation has become the greatest
power IN the New World. Is not that
because II was ready to risk its life and
to defend It's ideal In spite Of every
thing? Would not the words Of Its pres
ent head carry further now II they had
been heard when the proving nations
undertook to impose new servltudes on
Europe and to destroy the ideals OF the
independent peoples Of tho Old World?'
The Temps, commenting on the mes
sage, says:
"The turn h relations between the
United States n Germany are taking
gives special importance to the message.
Americanixed Germans. by making
scraps Of paper Of the laws Of the
country they " adopted have made
better understood the criminal cynicism
with which the Germans have treated
International conventions
president Wilson. nevertheless. has
not been able entirely to free himself
from the abstract conception Of neu-
trality which forbids even any mMnifes-
tation OF feeling. The impartiality which
he believes to be the duty Of countries
not involved In the conflict consists in
the refusal to pronounce between right
and crime. Such neutrality is a priv
LEGGED treatment for those openly vio-
lating all laws and engagements.
at 10 due to such !mpartial!ty that
outraxes such as President Wilson ad-
mits have been committed n which
compromise American honor have been
| perpetrated. The impartiality. which
| consists in remaining silent In the pres
ence of a crime, whether through fear or
interest. is a false conception OF neu-
trality. only exposing those practising
such dangerous ideology to the gravest
dangers"