Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-09-11
WILSON
DIPLOMACY

Some people strangely imagine that
the chief executive of the nation Is
10th to act upon important diploma
tic issues until he shall have obtained
horseback opinion of would-be states
men in the persons of writer's of edi-
torial columns of newspapers. The
absurdity of such notion is too APP
parent to need any rebuttal. At times,
however, such drivers of the quill i'm
agine that their opinions should re-
ceive the attention, if not affirmation,
of the powers that be, and for the
benefit of such the Philadelphia Re-
cord of today prints the following:
Our contemporary, the New York
Sun, gives prominent place on It's
editorial page to communication
which it heads "The New Diplomacy"
whose author deplo@cs the substitu-
ton of Wilsonian methods for the
good old Republican methods of hand!-
ing our foreign intercourse. The wrl-
ter, it appears, is particularly de-
pressed over the Presidents aiieg-
ed anxiety to get the opinion of the
country, as expressed through the
newspapers, upon each incident affect
ing our dealings with the warning tu-
ropean Powers before framing the
national policy and acting upon it..
He prefer the old style of diplo-
macy, which, disregarding ephemerai
yociferations. was based on convic-
tons, on an abiding faith in the pub
lie spirit of the country, on prlncl!,,
pIes. settled policies and precedents."
The Suns correspondent Is TOO
credulous. He is obviously zeal
our reader of the Washington dis
matches and firm believer in all
their contents. We have seen the idea
with which he is obsessed expressed
in hundred specials" from the Capt.
tai: we have read after the receipt
of each note from Germany, and al
ter the commission of every often
@siye act, that the President would
frame his reply, or take other APP
4rropriate measures, after STUDYING
the trend of public opinion and feel
ing, as it were, the national pulse
we have been inoculated with the
same virus as the Suns agitated cor
respondent. and it didn't take, while ne
has developed fine sore.
Despite the veracity of all Wash
ington correspondence, the suggestion
is repugnant to common sense tnat
President Wilson, before deciding
what course to pursue in the IN
terest of national rights and national!
honor. gets up at A o'clock in the
morning to read what half hundred
editorial chair diplomats think about
it. Shortly after his Inauguration
procession Of special writers who
make a profession of character analy-
sis descended upon Washington at
the instance of the magazines to ga
gather material for 4 ''wrte-up" OF
the President. They differed on many
points, but they were unanimous IN
testifying ii his habits of deciding
for himself all administrative ques-
tons that came before him, and OF
sticking to the decision like a Repub-
lican officeholder to his job. That ha-
lit at present governs our diplomacy
Inc 1aNOriIe tlyLll VI lllS NaSIAii \ Io'
correspondents, to the effect that the
President always has his ear to the
ground to catch the earth-tremofs
when the editor of the Oshkosh
advisory editorial, is belied by the
Wilsonian chin. We do not believe If
it.
Ifthere ever vas President whose
diplomacy. "disregarding ephcmeral
convictions. was based on convictions.
on an abiding faith in the public
spirit of the country, on principles,
settled policies and precedcnts." that
President is Woodrow wilson. He gets
plents of advice, but intelligently edi-
ted newspapers do not imagine that
they are running the country. If al!
the newspapers in the United States
should indefinitely suspend publication
tomorrow we are confident that the
diplomatic affairs of the nation would
still he administered with skill fide-