The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-08-25
TOO PROUD TO FIGHT"

SlOnS IN tne lie OF an individual or OF
a nation when the individual or the ma
ton is too proud to fight, when self
respect and sense of justice control.
The president did not use phrase
which would live to make him uncom-
Portable if he had not used it at the
wrong time. 1t is, we think, just criti-
cism of Mr. Wilson to say that he is
Unfortunately fond of phrases. That
would be an insignificant Characters
tic if Mr.. Wilson did not rely upon
the potency of phrases.
When people begin to desplve their
difficulties by applying phrases to
them they are bound to increase their
troubles because they cease to think
and merely hunt for a phrase. Let
we'll enough alone" Don't swap
horses crossing stream" If phrase
comes handy the processes of thought
are complete.
Mr.. Wilson's fondness for phrase
is not without significance, but what
he illustrated in the speech in which
he spoke OF being too proud to fight"
was his disposition not to consider
the effect of what he was saying.
Three days after the Lusltania had
been sunk Mr.. Wilson made this
speech, with the too proud to fight
statement in it, in Philadelphia. The
United States was in precarious sit
uation then. Its formal word had
gone to Germany that if the German
policy of sea frightfulness brought
harm to an American citizen, Germany
would be held to strict account
ability"
The Lusitania was Germany's ans
wer, and with American dead wash
ing up on Irish shores Mr.. Wilson
spoke. The speech had been written
for an occasion wholly unrelated to
the war. The phrase the president
used had been written into it be-
fore the crisis came. In its new sur
roundings it was demoralizing thing
to say. Any man who looked at his
writings with any precaution would
have stricken it out instantly. Any
man who had a sense of national
danger, who could understand causes
and their consequences, who knew
how obliquely the human mind fire.
quently works, would have avoided
that phrase at that time as he would
have avoided the plague.
A nation ought to be at times too
proud to fight, but three days after a
nation has received a stunning affront
three days after an event which sacri-
feed it's citizens to their confidence In
the ability of their nation to protec,
them, was no time to say such a
thing as that.
Mr.. Wilson was dealing with delica-
cies of sentiment of which he showed
no comprehension. The situation was
this: If Americans continued to trave
to Europe on vessels operated by bel
ligerents, and if Germans continued to
torpedo these vessels without regard
for the safety of the passengers, the
United States had to fight
There were two ways of avoidance
One that Americans cease to travel or
boats which the Germans might tor.
pedo. The other was that Germans
cease to torpedo boats on which
Americans might travel.
If one or the other of these ways
out of the difficulty were not adopted
the United States had to go to war
The administration had decided
to maintain the right of Americans te
travel on peaceable ships. Therefore
the only hope of avoiding war lay il
persuading Germany that the hostility
of the United States would be damag
ing.
Germany has regarded the United
States as a timid, money-making ma
tom At the moment whe Germany
had to make her decision which mean
war or peace for the United States thu
president used the phrase TOO prouc
to fight" 1t was a blunder of TIL
Il L4I To In
the Lusitania, but it could be con
strued in no other fashion. 1t CAV
us two chances for war for one tina
had existed. 1t strengthened the Ger
man conviction that Lusitania enter
prises could be repeated and tina
"strict accountability" meant nothing
1t held the United States up t
ridicule throughout the world. 1t is
favorite phrase of contempt Of Amer
cans even now. 1t exposed the Unite
States. In Mr.. Wilson's mind it ha
no significance. 1t was merely tn
statement of an obvious truth.
The president never saw what dam
age he was doing. That is precisel
the danger always facing a man VIII
is fond of phrases. Mr.. Wilson's lin
tations never revealed themselvt
more clearly. A man with so hit
idea of consequences cannot safely I
in charge of the affairs Of nation.
To all of Europe TOO proud
fight" was the American answer 10 Il
Lusitania, and all the while this in
preston was governing foreign Opt
ion the United States was determine
to prevent the use of the submaril
in tn e fashion it had been used. "
created an impression which did n
reveal our purpose at all, and in ~
such misunderstanding there is da
ger of war.
1t is said that German policy ma
its big mistake during the period pr
ceding hostilities, when it misjudg
Great Britain and was of the opini
that the British would not fight. v
count Grey has been blamed bitter
for not telling Germany fatty at t
very beginning of the trouble that
British navy would be at the dispo'
of Germany's enemies. War mig