The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-06-10

tons desire to remain on terms OF
amiability with all Of the belligerent.
in the fond hope that at the psyche.
logical moment they will turn to the
President Of the United States as the
neutral arbiter of their difficulties
All loyal Americans share to the full
the ambition Of the Administration "a
be recognized in history as yictors OF
peace rather than Of war, but the path
thither we shall find, and perhaps ali
too late, must be blazed not by q
feeble and faltering neutrality whose
purpose is to plaeate the belligerents
but by an aggressive and fearless
maintenance of our rights as neutrals.
If our Government fails TO exact from
all corners protection of American life
and property on the high seas we
must not expect that such course
will cause the warning nations to turn
to Washington for mediatory leader
ship.
At the outset Of the war our Gov
eminent suffered a serious handicap
from the deplorable failure Of its
course in Mexico. British and Ger
man naval commanders were daily
eye witnesses to the outrages upon
American citizens which our army and
navy were rendered powerless to stop
by orders from Washington which
sent our warships out of the harbor of
Tampico and entrusted to foreign
navies the rescue of our own and other
nationals. Whatever we may think as
a people of the wisdom or criminality
of such a course there is no doubt
about the opinion of foreign Govern
ments on the subject. Foreign belief
to-day is absolute that our aim as
nation is TO avoid war and that our
Government will go to almost any
length in pursuit of peaceful goal.
This belief is confirmed by the an
nouncement of our Secretary of State
many times reiterated that the United
States would not go to war while he
remained the premier" of the Admin
istration. Is it strange, Therefore, that
the neutrality which we resolved upon
at the outset of Europe's conflict has
not been "scrupulously respected" but
that instead both Germany and Great
Britain to-day eighty hazard the Civ
ing up provocation ?" The promise of
the Farewell Address was that we
should escape these things only in the
event that we were prepared to
"choose peace or war as our interest,
guided by justice, shall counsel"
Not only is our whole policy of neu-
trality to-day feeble and faltering in
form, but it is ill-advised in purpose,
and will prove fruitless unless soon
changed. When we endavor to solicit
Europe's invitation to end its war by
policy of neutrality which
thus far has failed to prevent Germany
from destroying the lives of more than
one hundred Americans on the high
seas, and Great Britain from inflicting
upon American shipping many of the
)utrages which finally provoked the
War of 1912, we are forgetting the
admonitions of the Republics
founder, and we are hindering rather
han helping to achieve for this Adj
"the place in history" as
| world pacificator upon which the
learts of the President and his prem
er are so steadfastly set.
No President ever had greater OPP
'ortunity than was offerd Mr.. Wilson
It the very beginning of the war to
trike abody blow for the future peace
# the world by defining, in terms that
he world at peace would support and
n tone that the world at war would
iced, not merely the obligations, but
itt ilBiIto VI HtuLidlS. IL IL NdS HtI- |
ssary to determine what those rights
we're a conference of the neutral ma
ions called by the President would ,
ave given this Government from the {
tart leadership which ultimately the
Earring nations could not fail to ac-
and follow. By standing up
or our rights as the greatest of the ]
eutral Powers we would have become I
he champion Of the neutral world S
Until we assume the responsibility
yhich our position and power impose !
nd set up standard to which the
Their neutrals will wish to repair we :
annot hope to end the infringements +
pom our neutral rights so irritating q
nd humiliating to us all. Every day 4
re delay the adoption of a new neu- p
rality whose paramount purpose is to ]
ecure, not ''place in history" but c
ne protection of American life and !
roperty the world over, we decrease =
ne chance of winning for the Presi- I
ent the pacifcating honors which /.
.mericans hope may be his. 1
Not by dreaming dreams of future Il
L