New Britain herald., 1915-09-28
WHAT OTHERS SAY
Views on all sides of timely questions as discussed in ex- changes that come to the Herald Office.
The "self- wilied. weakling.
(New York, Globe.)

Dr. Dumba's characterization of President Wilson as 'self-willed" is hardly in accord with the Tribune's contention that MT. Wilson could not make up his mind to any policy un- reservedly, and that his course in re- gard to Germany has been weak, shifty, eyasive, timorous," begun with brave words that were without l. the smallest meaning in fact and only persisted in because the publ1c took them seriously. .4r
 This sudden discovery by those op- posed to the administration for par t1san reasons that the American peo- pie have been deceived will require more evidence than has yet been z brought forward in its support before the public accepts.
 For the most part the charge is based on mean assumption and dis honor1ng conjecture. It is assumed that President Wilson, not meaning his strict accountability" note, wrote the protest only for political effect. It is conjectured that MT. Bryan in his talks with Dumba gave a tip" and that Germany persisted in her submarine methods because her gov ernment understood that the admin istration at Washington did not much care whether they were stopped or not. President Wilson is thus pre- sented as probably the most con- temptible trickster ever developed in American public life-as man will ing to trifle with great issues in order to gain party advantage.
 Aside from the Bryan-Dumba epi- sode (and neither Bryan nor Dumba is a good witness concerning its na- ture), the charge that the president was hypocritical in his strict ac- countability" note rests on the fact that he did not immediately call Con- gress and advise a declaration of war after the Lusitania outrage. If the Lusitania tragedy was of such na- ture as absolutely to require militant action, then, of course, some sort of case can be made out against the president. But the deduction that war was automatically necessary is unwarranted. No responsible news paper or responsible public man de- clared that there was no choice ex- cept to go to war. Though the sit uatioh was grave it was universally recognized that peaceable adjust ment was possible. Those who ap- proved and applauded the strict ac- countability"' note when it appeared and then, following the destruction of the Lusitania, consented to and advised further negotiation thus ac- cuse themselves of vacillation, and weakness when they accuse the presi- dent.
 It is fortunate that the adminis- tration did not automatically react into bellicosity when the Lusitania went down.. Except for a few ex- tremists the country is we'll satisfied with the fact that Germany was given time to back down and that it was recognized that questions of fact had to be settled before We ventured -on giving the term strict accounta- bility" an exact definition.
 Criticism of President Wilson founded on the fact that he did not precipitate war when the Lusitania went down is in essence an expres- sion of dissatisfa ction with the fact that the country is still at peace. It is not likely that partisan headway will be made by assault on this line.