The Washington herald., 1915-10-14
NEWS" FROM CAPITAL
Writer Assails the Logic of a Specia
Correspondent in WASHINGTON.

In the middle of September the COM
pleXitfes of the war situations and the
continued flight of notes made it neces-
sary for Col Frank H. Simonds, the war
expert, to follow the example of Col o.
G. Willard and go over to Washington to
find out what was really going on. He
discovered and disclosed in the Tribune
that President Wilson in his dealings
with Germany had never meant a word
that he had said, but had merely used
strong words as a precaution against the
need Of using anything stronger Col
Simonds assures US that there is not in
the administration fraction of an in
tention to defend the international law
and never has been. All talk he says,
about the championship of humanity is
mereSt moonShine.
There never was any intention on the
part Of the administration to champion
humanity or anything else. From the
start to finish the whole affair has been
sorry farce, which may yet end in
war, because no one has yet found a
way out. The reason is utterly clear
We took a position untenable unless we
meant to fight at the start, and We won t
fight or leave it,
Mr.. Simonds made the reputation which
carried him to the Tribune by writing
in the Evening Sun on a subject which
he had studied for years and which most
Of his readers knew little or nothing
about He wrote very informing dis
courses on the early battles Of the war
made the reader feel that the war was
being explained to him by some one COM
petent.
Sad to say, these discourses which as
correspondent he has sent from Wash
ington do not contain the convincing
qualities that were characteristic Of his
war pieces. When he used to tell US
that the battle OF the Marne was the
twin (say) of the attack on Lookout
Mountain. We were glad to believe him.
because We knew very little about either
Lookout Mountain or the Marne. But in
dealing with Washington matters the wal
scribe does not have this advantage OF
US.
He can tell us things about W. Will
son. but they come in our minds not
into an empty chamber. but into one
already fairly furnished forth with
Wilson information. The Simonds
argument seems to be intended to work
bo-h ways. If under Wilson's leader
ship we get into a war in which we
have an appearance of defending in
ternational law. President Wilson is
to have no credit. because he never
meant to defend anything but himself
And II under Wilson leadership we
keep out of the war, the President
must have no credit for that, be-
cause by his empty bluffing he came
all-hred near getting US in. Core
spondent Simonds. having viewed Mr.
Wilson from both sides. invites us to
share his conclusion that he is timid
and irresolute person and badly scared
by the fx he Is in. If we were invited
to a conclusion of this sort about
Gen. Butler at Big Bethel or Gen
Intoobad at the Masurian Lakes We
would accept. because We have forgot.
ten or never knew about Big Bethel
and are happy to believe anything
Mr.. Simonds says about a complet.
stranger like Gen. Intoobad. But Mr.
Wilson we know. and have ample
means to form an opinion whether In
his war notes he has understood the
necessary implications of the languags
, he has used. and. using it. has meant
what he said.
The Tribune does not seem to get
good information in Washington. Itl
great beat" distributed through all
the news channels. OF the falling out
between Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. House
| seems to have had no basis whatever
in anything but invention. Maybe Il
was the collapse of that tale that de-
termined the TriXune's editor to try
his own hand at getting the washing.
lton nswA-E 8 Martin In Life.