Evening journal., 1916-02-24

Democratic party and "The World"
could have their Clear-cut issue-that
peace at any price is better than war
on any terms. But with Mr.. Wilson
as a candidate there could be no such
issue. The indictment against Mr..
Wilson's foreign policy rests on other
grounds. The vital trouble with it
has been that il didn't mean what it
said: that il has been insincere. waver-
ing and futile. The President has
failed because he neglected to set him
self one clear, definite national task
and to stick to that task consistently,
whether the outcome for us was peace
or war.
IL was plain enough in the early
days of the fighting in Europe that we
could not count with any certainty on
keeping out OF the trouble zone. War
might Overtake us unawares. The
first duty of the President at that time
was to put the country into a condi-
tion to defend itself But Mr.. Will
son ignored this imperative duty. lie
sneered at those who urged prepara-
tiOn against war and called them
nervous and excited"
Even when the Lusitania tragedy
showed us on what insecure ground
we stood Mr.. Wilson remained obdur-
ate and blind. He would not call Con-
gress together to increase the navy
and reorganize the army. He wasted
seven precious months and then sud-
denly suffered conversion to prepar-
edness whose sincerity has yet TO be
tested and which so far has borne
, very little fruit.
Writing letters to Germany which on
their face invited war. he allowed the
world to draw quickly the deduction
that there was nothing behind his
words. There was nothing and there
, never had been anything, as Mr.. Bryan
truly informed the ambassador of Aus
tria aIlungary.
In Mexico there was n personal inter
vention directed against an obnoxious
Provisional President and supplemented
by n program of agrarisn return for
the benefit of the Mexican poems. But
never was hand raised to protect
American lives and property or TO en-
force the guarantees 10 American resi-
dents contained in our treaty with Mex
( leo.
Mexican faction leaders have dehed us
with impunity, Just as the German gov
ernmont has postponed for nine months
an acknowledgment of the illegality of
the massacre of which more than a
hundred American passengers on the
Lusitania were the victims.
The Wilson foreign policy has failed
through not realizing that words are
hrr ia
talking about protecting national inter
ests and honor while shrinking from the
consequences of protecting them. What
ever may be the Presidents innate pref
ercnce for peace, his letter TO Germany
of February 10, 1915, carried a clear note
of war. II was in effect an ultimatum.
Yet stroke by stroke thereafter that ul-
timatum was softened and the United
States was put in tho menviable posi-
tion of abandoning its high claims as a
/ champion of neutral rights and OF the
sanctitv of international law in order
to avoid war and 10 secure its own ma
terial prosperity and tranquility.
The Wilson diplomacy has made
America contemplate in the eyes Of
/ the world. II has sinned against the
spirit OF true Americanism; il has
put materialism above national honor
That is the real indictment which
/ Mr. Wilson's foreign policy must
/ face. It has not banished the peril
OF war. for. as MI Wilson himself adj
mits, war may still come any day. It
has merely secured us a weekly
week respite from international trou-
BILE by diplomatic twisting and turn
/ ing. Il has belittled American cour-
age and made a mOckery Of American
/ ideals.
All that Mr.. Wilson has really done
for peace is to make Odious the
thought OF peace without honor-to
turn all true Americans against that
semblance OF peace which he has pur-
chased and paid for in terms of ma
! tional humiliation.