Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-10

roughly. that the country Is too. proud.
AS usual, 1t implies too cowardly.
But the people who think are even more
generous. Last week Cecil Chesterton ad-
dressed an open letter TO the President In
II he said, plainly. that America was more
Interested in her own affairs than in Euro
pean, and he professed to believe that even
too proud TO fight" was spoken not in re-
gard TO Germany. but in regard to Mexico.
That Is said here again and again. But
when l asked a newspaper writer. whose
business II Is to know what people think,
and who knows his business, TO tell me his
impression, he said, ''rhe people of Eng
land and particularly of London. are not
beyond the too-proud state yet They think
It's your national motto or something"
AT certain music hall in London they
used TO show, in the interWisson. slides
OF the rulers of the Entente countries and
OF neutral nations. One alone was without
cheers, was even hissed here and there
each night. That slide is no longer being
shown. II was President Wilson.
"YOur Greatest President
But once you pass above the music hall
audience you will ind such mad enthusl-
asts for the President as you will not find
In the United States, not even In the edi-
toral offices OF the Democratic papers II
is astonishing in its prevalence and in its
extent. Comparisons with Lincoln have
been houted as Insignificant.
HE is 80 near being n great man, so
sure of being called the greatest statesman
OF the war;" I was told.
HE is 80 far superior TO any President
before him. I wonder that he was ever
elected. You don't deserve such man." was
another estimate
writing and unbounded admiration for his
domestic policies
IF the President would only not make
speeches" This time II was not the Phila-
delphia speech. but the Chicago speech
which gave the world the impression that
the United States was superior 20 Europe
and 10 the madness of Europe. That hurt
Europe and hurt the President nightly.
The more recent address In the West, when
the President said that II America goes
TO war she wants 70 know why she goes
20 war was also taken as a slap in the
face of Europe. And the faint touch OF
self-assertion In some of the notes TO Great
Britain In which the United States pro-
tests that she has always been the first
10 stand for this right or that. is not pre-
cisely the thing TO promote respect or
friendship
Probably the black list did Presid.nt
Wilson, personally, more good In Great
Britain than any other single thing. Pub
licists had always insisted on the good will
OF the great majority OF Americans toward
England. and II was with this good will
IN mind that the President was Condemned
for being unfriendly. But the roars of pro-
test which were heard, though family on
| this side, made Britain think She suddenly
realized that she could not bank on that
good will. And naturally she revised her
| opinion OF the comparative attitudes OF
President and people. The Gore and McIe-
more resolutions also helped him. but their
significance was not generally understood,
and they are virtually forgotten.
And one further thing: what IL depIored
most here In the activity OF those Imeri-
cans who are more violent than Byitons
themselves in the cause OF England. Their
shoutings and their clamorings win no re-
sponse here. and II is quite well understood
| that their efforts In the market place OF
America have alienated sympathies which
would otherwise have been Invaluable to
| Britain and her allies. In a measure, this
applies 10 Mr.. Roosevelt. whose words are
usually reprinted here. but who Is far from
being universally respected The worst
critics OF President Wilson are free 10 say
| that they would rathev have his 'timld" neu.
trallty than the swashbucklings Of Mr.
Roosevelt. Mr.. Hughes, on the other hand
] has won moderate respect No one knows
l quite what TO make OF him