The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-08
ENGLISH COMMENT ON WILSON MESSAGE "War Message From Be- ginning to End"-Times ROE DOCTRINE Daily News Argues That Only the British Fleet Makes It Effective.
 Greviously Disappointing to
 the Daily Graphic
MONROE DOCTRINE

| London, December 7.-President Will sons message proves of unusual inter- est to the British press as shown by the editorials in the morning papers.
 In the view of the Daily News, ''it is doubtful whether the Monroe doctrine will ever be tenable again, experience
 having shown that the United States can no longer rely on political isola- ton founded geographical detach-
 ment, which has largely lost it's mean ! ing"
 l The Daily News argues that it is only 1 the British navy which today stands in effective defense of the Monroe doctrine, and that If Germany were victorious l in this war the United States guaran- 1 tees of the independence of the states of 1 South America would not be worth the paper on which that doctrine is writ 1 ten."
 l Admitting that President Wilson s claim that the American policy of neu- trality has been of enormous value to the world is justified and in it's operation had worked to the incalculable advantage of the allies the News refers to President | Wilson's difficulties in dealing with the German campaign owing to constitu- 1 tional restrictions, and says:
 WILL GRANT POWERS l President Wilson has the courage and executive genius for an emergency, and we do not doubt that his demand for powers to deal with the situation will be readily granted
 | The Daily Chronicle says: | After the amazing revelati of Ger man machinations which appear still far from complete, one would be surprised if the United States tolerated the present | condition of things much longer. | It would be strange if the American peo- 1 pie did not insist on it's government talk | ing strong measures to restore security 1 of life and property on American soil and | in American portS.''
 The Times regards the message as "by l force of events a war message from be- 1 ginning to end" and says: | The President has striven and is still 1 striving hard with the full appreciation 1 of the masses of the people, to cling | fast to the notion that the United States can continue to live it's own life, up-
 hold exalted ideals throughout the new | world and promote their realization in the world without abandoning the splen- | did isolation she has so long enjoyed The hard realities of the situation ere | ated by the war are beginning to show that the notion is no longer tenable with the firm assurance of even last year. 1 The sudden development of the Boy l Ed-Von Papen controversy gives the mes- | sage a dramatic fitness it would not have l possessed without this serious complica- tion and affords a striking instance ot the growing complexity and interdepend ence of the relations between the ole world and the new.
 ON NATTONAT nEEENCE ] Even more striking than the Presi dents denunciation of the German cam. | paign is the new attitude he assumes 1 on the subject of national defense. It is | a sudden break with the past or his own
 party and the fact that the President
 cannot expect his proposals to be carried | without hard fighting makes them still
 more a sign of the times"
 The Times believes that although the | Germans have so often and so grossly | misunderstood the American attitude they 1 will appreciate the significance of the | Presidents message and with however bad grace draw back while there is still time.
 Under the caption "America's Lost Op- l portunity," the Daily Graphic in an edi- | torial, says:
 "If President Wilson had assumed the responsibility of safeguarding interna- | tional law his services would have added d SlOrlouS page to Amerlcan history. IL is grievously disappointing that in ad dressing Congress he utters no word ir condemnation of Germany's infamous breaches of international law in hel brutal invasion of Belgium and the vena manner of her fighting. Reference to the revival of the ship purcnase bi is ominous. If President Wilson has I mind some scheme for the acquirement of the German ships now informed il American harbors our government should not lose a moment in intimating in the friendlest spirit that the allies canno consent to any transaction which would enrich the German coffers and undo tht work of our navy"
 The Standard thinks the Presiden shows "a determination which pro-Ger man conspirators will be wise not t, ignore" and that "it is very doubtful
 whether the mass of Americans until re gently have grasped the true character O.
 the abominations wrought in the name O
 German culture"
 The Daily Telegraph says: Every on
 will be glad that President Wilson shoult speak out with such admirable frank ness of German intrigues. Nothing les was expected from the head of republ
 which brides itself on its independenc and it's neutrality"
 .