New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-27
The Colonel Tells the Sober Truth
Rampageously.

Plattsburg with his habitual disregard for
the restraints of conventional language
and manner cannot and will not conceal the
fact that much of what he said is not only
true. but needs to be said. His advice Will
lose through the violence of his tone-out
this is unfortunate.
Let us say at once that The Tribune
does not believe that if Roosevelt had been
President we should have interviewed when
Belgium was invaded. But it believes the
Colonel believes this On the other hand
and this is vital, The Tribune does not be-
Heve that If Theodore Roosevelt had been
IN the White House there would have been
a Lusitania incident. Certainly there
would have been no repetition such as the
Arabic affair.
Like every other American newspaper
The Tribune has supported Mr.. wilson
and will continue to do so precisely as long
as if is possible. Beyond all else it is de-
termired to support the President when
he is being attacked for that which ne has
done and is preparing to do to defend ma
fiona, honor and American lives.
But this does not blind The Tribune 10
the fact that O very large measure OF our
present international difficulty arises from
the fact that the executive department Is
in the hands of man who sees IN words
= force that words never have and IN ao-
stract general theories a value Which Is
10 be found only in solid fact.
Colonel Roosevelt sees things as they
are. He is apt to see them clearly ana
accurately, when his personal fortunes are
not concerned. Had he been President 1t
Is highly improbable that the United States
would have gone to Vera Cruz. But 1t is
absolutely certain that having gone we
should not have scuttled back, bringing our
dead with US and leaving our honor be-
hind us.
When Germany issued her submarine
blockade order in February, it is concelva-
BILE that Roosevelt, as President, would not
have issued a warning, using the words
"strict accountability" which meant moth
ing or else meant casus belh. But what
ne would have said would have been clear,
precise. unmistakable.
The strength of Colonel Roosevelt lies In
the fact, absolutely beyond praise in for
egn affairs, that there are no refnements,
philosophical nuances, reserved meanings
in what he says. His reply to the Ger
man submarine blockade notice would have
convinced Berlin that "an incident" would
have meant a war-not because OF the
words. but because Of the man.
The weakness Of the President disclosed
in the Mexican and in the German Incl
dents alike, is that while his words were
plain no one could be sure what they
meant to him or that they meant anything.
A man as close as Bryan was to Mr.. Will
son could tell the Austrian Ambassador in
all honesty, if in indefensible taste, that
they were only words.
Take the Mexican incident again. I'VE
are in Mexico to serve mankind-if we
can find a way" Mr.. Wilson explained.
In an instant Mexico and the United
States knew that the administration had
no policy-no definite purpose-was, in
fact. making war under the honest convic-
ton that it was engaged in a missionary
work in the foreign field.
Now, as has been said, it is exceedingly
doubtful whether the Colonel, as President,
would have sent troops TO Mexico. 1t is
doubtful chiefly because he would know
exactly what sending them meant. He
would see men and guns and ships, when
Mr.. Wilson saw vague vision of abstract
principles made effective without the eXer-
else OF the force that he sent to Mexico.
Colonel Roosevelt always spoke with a
certain amount of extravagance-and the
habit has grown on him. But he neither
acted in the spirit of his words nor made
his advisers men who shared his weakness.
Think of John Hay or Elihu Root in
Bryan's chair few months ago.
When nations are dealing with great
power, the essential thing for them is to
know what the President, or the Foreign
Secretary, or the official charged with the
maintenance or enunciation of national
policv means when he uses words. For the
words they care not two straws. For the
lofty moral principles proclaimed in fault
less phrase and based on irrefragible
morals, they have no concern. Their bust
ness is to know what the man who says
them means by them.
And just here the President has broken
down. He has again and again used words
which were empty unless they were final
,yords which meant war or were but
rhetoric-and neither his own countrymen
nor German statesmen have been able to
gauge the meaning Woodrow Wilson at
tached to them.
Here, too Colonel Roosevelt is strongest.
What he says frequently goes beyond the
meaning that he or any other sane person
.,,o,,ld End II, his words ! Rnf in him in his