The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1915-09-18
A TRIBUTE TO PRES. WILSON
Republican Editor Recognizes the
Worth Of President and Writes Of
Correctness Of Patriotic Position.

So complete appears to be the &C
ceptance by the German government
of the principle for which the Unit
ed States government has contended
in regard TO submarine attacks on
unarmed merchant ships that Chief
Justice White, of the United States
supreme court, seems well within
the facts in declaring the outcome
of the crisis with Germany to be
"the greatest diplomatic achieve
ment of the United States in gen.
Grafton" The issue was bound to
be raised in naval warfare sooner
or later; the development of the
submarine and the peculiar posi-
tiOn of Germany in relation to Brit
ish sea power in the present war
served to precipitate it in the most
acute form. To the everlasting
honor of the United States the issue
has been squarely met and COM
plete triumph scored for the rights
of neutrals; and it is the imperish-
able glory of President Wilson that
in defending neutral rights he has
also vindicated the claims of civ
lization and humanity against a
renescent barbarism.
By his combination of patience
and steadfastness-qualities emin-
emily characteristic-the president
has now won a victory for neutrals
which enables him to continue his
championship of neutral rights with
a much enhanced prestige through
out the remainder of the war. And
what this means for the neutral
states it is impossible now to esti-
mate. When the war began The
Republican pointed out that Amer
ica's mission in the struggle was evil
IDENTIFY that of the defense of neu-
trail rights and the safeguarding of
neutral interests against the inev-
liable encroachments of the great
est and most formidable military
coalitions in history. Very many OF
our citizens in their intense SYM
pathy for one side or the other In
the conflict have lost sight of this
mission, OF have come to regard ii
with disfavor. But it is as much the
policy of the government today as
ever before to carry the mission to
successful completion.
With the most menacing crisis
with Germany now weathered in
safety, the prospect that the United
States will not be drawn into the
war seems brighter than at any
previous time in a troubled half
year. The German governments
action concerning the submarine is
sue places beyond reasonable doub
its purpose to avoid a break witt
this country, and surely no Other
issue could arise so liable to in
volve the ugliest eventualities. Will
peace between the United States anC
the Teutonic powers virtually guar.
anteed, nothing could be surer thar
that a president of Mr.. Wilson's
dogged will and tenacity of pur'
pose should seek TO vlndicate thu
neutral rights of the United State
as against the powers of the entente
Great Britain's action regarding
goods held up at Rotterdam con
tracted for by American merchant
already shows that the British gov
ernment has recognized the remote
significance of Germany's surrende
TO the president
The turn diplomacy has taken is
in reality, of tremendous import
ance; and critical, condemnatOf
even, of the German gOvernmen
IN many aspects of the war as thi
newspaper has been, it is bound I
say that for the first time in thir
teen months German diplomacy ha
risen to its full opportunities. Fol
by meeting our governments view
regarding 1.-The freedom of the seas
i'm abandoning an abhOrrent prac
tice which was never justified b
Germany except as a measure G
retaliation, the German governmer
places President Wilson and all tn
American people who support
sincerely neutral policy in a posi-
lion from which they are bound
make good the words in the lai
Lusitania note: The government {
fhe limited States will continue