Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-20
PRESIDENT PLANS
VIGOROUS ACTION
ON STATE ISSUES
Allied Blockade and Subma-
rine War Chief of For
eign Problems
TRADE STATUS vEx1NG
Wilson, Free From Campaign
Worry, Expected to Take
Firm Stand

WASHINGTON. Nov. 2O-From now on
the President expects to deal with all for
slgn questions without embarrassment and
is receiving from his advisers n summary
Of the outstanding Issues so essential to
taking stock of the basic situation which
must be met, now that international rela-
tions have returned to their place OF prime
Importance
while II Is not evident that there will
he any fundamental change in policy. free
dom from fear that any move at all would
be mlsInterpretod as inspired by an internal
polItlcal struggle has been rerapved. Presi-
dent Wilson and Secretary Lansing feel
themselves able TO act with single eye to
the International situation and their imme-
diate conferences on the Presidents re-
turn TO Washington indicates how pressing
they feel the situation to be.
The President must decide how the
United states shall meet the German sub
marine question on the one hand and the
Entente Allied trade restrictions on the
other: whether the retnliatory legislation
shall be enforced whether the traditional
theory OF isolation shall be abandoned for
concerted neutral action, and whether the
country shall have an aggressive or n pass
i've policy toward the peace con-
ference the war after the war" and the
Permanent League to Enforce Peace which
the President has accepted in theory. And.
during tho rest OF the war, shall Americas
ience in tho Interpretation OF international
law, according to its own best interests.
or shall II be strictly legalistic, regardless
OF whom IL affects?
Relations with the Entente Allies are less
clear cut. less dangerous. than those with
the Central Powers, bAt perhaps more nag
ginR Sea power has enabled them, through
the blockade, to bring about the rationing
OF Holland and all Scandinavia. the pro.
hibition of imports into this country except
under guarantee. the seizure and censor
ship OF mails, and the imposition OF the
blacklist virtually to destroy all foreign
trade hostile to them and divert all Ameri-,
can commerce to their own uses.
Constant bolllgerert encroachments on
neutral rights have led President Wilson
20 say that neutrality Is "ntolerable." War
has become so worldwide so unlimited ms
to national boundaries, that it is no longer
tho hostile army. hut the hostile state. men
women and children. with its outposts all
over the world. that Is involved
First and oldest Of the Entente Allied
restrictions is the blockade wh'ch this
Government has declared illegal because II
Is both Ineffective ard discriminatory in
favor of Norway and Sweden. In that IL does
not blockade the Baltic. and because I mt
tcmpts to blockade neutral ports contiguous
10 Germany, to which British goods are
allowed TO 20. The case dates back to March
H. 1915 and the last note was the British
refusal OF April "a last
The rationinE of Holland Norway Swc-
den and Denmark has been bitterly con-
demned in the blockade notes. where II has
been held to he an absolutely unwar
rantable interference with neutral trade
directly between the neutral countries.