Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-24
BRITISH TRIBUTE TO WOODROW WILSON
g. q. Gnrdlrrr. in London News,

The rupture between President VIII
son ard MIR. BRYAN will he OF the
great landmarks of the war Whatever
other significance tho event may have.
it is conclusive cvidcnc" OF the failure
Of German diplomacy in America.
Tho Kaiser has made many miscalcu-
lations about nations and about mon.
but No greater miscalculat ton than that
which he has made In regard u Prcsi-
dent Wilson and thc United states. lie
is not alone in that. There has been a
good deal Of ignorance on III. sam" sub
i.Ct in this country In tn" early stages
of Tic war Their" was u mischicrOus
clamor against the United States IN a
section OF the press which has never
quite got rid Of tn" idc:, that America is
only rather rebclliouS member OF our
own household. To- he ratroniZcd when ii
does what we want and lccturcd like Il
diSob"dient child when il doesn't.
President Wilson was assumed. in
these uniformed quarters. to be a
timid. academic person so different
from that magnificent tub-thumpcr. Mr..
Roosevelt. who would have been at war
with M"Nic" in a trice and would. it
Was believed. have plunged into til"
European struggle with or without
excuse.
Ii there was misunderstanding here
on the subject. We cannot he surprised
that tn" Kaiser Numbered SO badly. lie.
too. believed in the "schoolmastcr' view
OF Woodro" Wilson. y man who had
refused such q golden opportunity OF
anncXin- Mexico must bc a tiinid. in
vertebrate person who had only to he
bullicd in orde- IL do what he was
told. Moreover. was there not that
great Gcrman-Amcrican population to
serve rs whip for the presidential
back:
II was a fatal blU nder--thc blundrr
OF people who have been SO blinded
by materialsm that they do not seem
|" have so much as the cons c;ousness
that there is such thing as moral
strength on earth. No one who had
followed with Intelligent understanding
the career az Woodrow Wilson coulh
have doubted that he had Ia deal {, it'll
man OF iron. man with moral
PASSION as fervid as that Of his coll
league. Mr. Eryan. hut with that pas
sion Informed by wide knowledge and
controlled by a mastcrful villa quiet
still man who does not live witt, his
car TO the ground and his eve on the
wcafhcrcock. who refuses to buy popu-
laritr by infinite handshakinc and ro-
bustious speech. but comes out to action
from the sanctuary OF his own thoughts
where principle. and not expcdiency. is
his counselor.
II is because no man in a conspicuous
position in the democratic world to-day
is so entirely governed by principle
and by moral sanctions that President
Wilson is not merely the first citizen
| OF the United states. but the first citi-
zen nf the world
couraSe-no; the courage thar cam
bles on the public emotions. but the
! courage that takes it's stand on moral
nrounds-has been the capital note Of
his career. AS president of Princeton
University. he had come into nublic
F., prominence by his determination TO
| save that great institution from being
the monopoly OF wealthy idiers Dol
| lars or brains"-that was the issue
| and he fought for brains. The dol
lars won. aud he resigned: but the
! miilionaireS had Il costly victory They
had saved Princeton for the princes Of
the pork trade, hut in the end they
found they had made its president the
! head OF the nation.
People. in fact. have always been
making the kaiser's mistake about
| Woodrow wilson, always assuming that
| he was only a schoolmaster." and
could be used or brushed aside as the
f! occasion demanded And his singular
| strengthen the illusion for there is
nothing that SO mystifies the bully and
the rogue as the quality of modcsty.
lie cannot understand that man may
be strong without always talking
| about his muscle.
| AS President. his achievements in in.
teraal policy have been as remarkable
| for their magnitude as for their rour-
! age and their wisdom He has been
! as conspicuous for deeds as President
| Roosevelt was for words. His speeches
have the brcvity OF Lincoln. something
OF that great mans force, still more
| Of the note OF Burke
| Throughout the war his attitude he s
! conformcd TO the historic tradition G,
the United states of nonntervention in
European affairs. This attitude laid
him open to attack from both sides
He was assailed because he did not
| enter his protest against the ntroci-
ties in Belgium, and II is at least argu-
able that he would have done we'll to
initiate neutral court o: inquiry. Rut
the chief attack has come from the
side of Germany. which has realized
that the neutrality OF the United States
has meant, in fact, that all its re-
sources are at the disposal Of the allies,
who have command Of tho sea-
l IL.