New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-22

propagandists. These Informed him that
TO break with Germany meant not merely
q political disaster, the loss of the country
in 1916. but internal revolution. Dire
prophecies Of German propaganda vio-
lence were brought TO him. He was solemn
~ assured by ever increasing multitudes
that the country. apart from thin slice
along the Atlantic seaboard, desired peace
at any price.
Never having intended 20 take strong
action. Mr. Wilson listened readily to this
warning and began that long series OF
weak and wabbling notes with the "omit
no word or act" message. Mr.. Bryan,
evidently fearing that Germany and Aus
tria might take umbrage at this, privately
assured the Austrian Ambassador Of what
was the truth that the words were not
meant that the President was in poitl-
cal hole at home and was trying to get out.
In the same fashion the propagandists all
over the country were Informed that under
no circumstances would there be break
with Germany.
But Germany, also being in the know
saw no reason TO interrupt her attack upon
British ships She had punctured the
IblufF of the '"strict accountability" note.
She had disclosed to her satisfaction the
fact that the extreme of Mr.. Wilson's in
tention in the direction Of protecting
American honor or American lives was to
write notes, and Berlin was prepared to
put Just as much attractive rhetoric and
appealing moral discourse into notes as
would be necessary to meet Mr. Wilson's
several contributions.
Now, so far as Mr.. Wilson and the Ger
mar government were concerned here was
situation that might have gone on IN
definitely. But there was one grave diff
Guilty. A certain fraction Of the American
public had believed that from the outset
Mr.. Wilson meant to assert and to defend
American rights. Many newspapers, Of
which The Tribune was one, had rallied
to the support of the Administration IN a
time of international crisis because they
believed that party lines should end at the
waters edge in such time. These news
papers represented a certain fraction of
American public opinion.
And this fraction of American opinion
viewed with utter amazement the failure
Of Mr.. Wilson to make good his words.
They saw with rising indignation one
German incident after another, which led
only to notes. What was still graver was
that other groups of citizens, who had
before paid little attention to the affair,
began to believe that while Mr.. Wilson
was patiently trying to persuade the Ger
mans the Germans were ruthlessly IN
sulting American officials and brutally
numbering American citizens.
In word, as always happens in such
cases, the long protraction Of interna-
tional difficulties began tC create strong
anG-German sentiment based on the notion
that Germany was deliberately affronting
the United States. This was not the
fact. Germany was proceeding on her
own way; she was not invading American
rights more than those of Holland or Swe-
den. or any neutral. She was not trying
to make an issue with the United States.
But she had been convinced by Mr.. Wilson's
course that under no. circumstances would
he take drastic steps, and she was pre-
pared to endure verbal castigations as the
i Il,
Unhappily for Mr.. Wilson popular SEN
timent continued to rise until the Arabic
incident brought him face to face with a
real home crisis. He could not write more
notes, because he was now aware that the
people would not stand for them. The
politicians and the pro-German propagan-
dists were just as insistent upon peace
as ever. but as influential a fraction of
public sentiment now insisted that there
be an end to a policy which permitted Ger
many to murder Americans with impunity.
1t was at this point that Count Won Bern
storff interviewed with his promise.
The German Ambassador interviewed be-
cause he perceived that the decision no
longer rested with Mr.. Wilson, that public
sentiment had reached such a pitch that
Mr.. Wilson would have to break off with
Germany and was preparing TO do it. He
saw that which Berlin could not see, that
the time had passed when it was possible
to bank upon Mr.. Wilson's weakness and
the influence of the politicians. He saw
that the only hope of avoiding a break
now was concession by Germany. The
Tribune believes that it was the recogni-
ton Of this situation that determined his
action and that it was sincere, not sincere
because of any liking for America, but be-
cause he believed his own government was
headed for war it did not desire.
That is the German affair, as The
Tribune sees it. A weak, shifty, evasive,
timorous course, begun with brave words