New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-01
Wilson Held Up aSCOWard
BY Roosevelt in NeW Attack

debt Of 81 ,500,0 100000, while ALREADY
many more of our people have been
! killed than were killed in the war with
Spain.
4. X. for Enforcing Words.
an dealing with foreign nations. il
we are 20 retain our sclf-reSpect and
protect our citizens, the first essential
is that when we speak u shall be
understood that we mean what We say
"On February 10 President Wilson
issued his strict accountability note.
On March IS the Falaba was tOrpedocd,
If he had then made good his words :;
If he had Immediately held Germany 10
strict Accountability, not one OF the
subsequent sinkinRs would have taken
place. The Lusitania, the Arabic, the
Persia, the Sussex and the other yes
sells would be ahoat, and 1900 men,
women and children would be alive.
They lost their lives because President
Wilson did not venture to call TO &C
count by direct challenge and resist
ance' imperial Germany. tie did not
dare 10 make his words good.
president Wilson says IN his speech
of acceptance that he rs more inter-
ested in the fortunes Of oppressed men
and pitiful women and children than in
any property rights whatever Presl-
dent Wilson sent note after note 10
England protesting against lnterfer-
ence with property rights and he has
Just taken action on behalf of property
rights against France and England
, which if he had really thought about IT
in advance, and meant what he said,
might very well lead 10 the most serl-
Gus consequences with these powers.
at is Sardonic evidence that, If he
thinks political purpose is to be
served, he will instantly show far more
interest in property rights than IN
the fortunes Of oppressed men and
pitiful women and children whether IN
Louvain or Lille. in the United Stateh
or in Mexico, on the high seas or any
where else.
president Wilson says that he is in
tereSted in the fortunes Of pitiful
women and children On the Lusitania
there were drowned 1913 babies under
two years of age. fifty of them being
babies under one year of age. How did
Mr.. Wilson's interest in those pitlful
women and children show itself? il
showed itself by the statement just
two days later about being too proud
10 fight Never in our history has
there been such ignoble contrast be-
tween the words and the deeds Of a
Chief Executive.
GAS on almost every question Presi-
dent Wilson has occupied at least two
Numerically opposite positions, we
can usually find in some Of his words
an outline Of the position we ought 10
have taken; but almost without eXcep-
tion these fine words have had the
meaning weaseled out of them by
other words; and usually there have
been no deeds whatever.
Neglect of Preparedness.
"Take, as an instance, the question
Of preparedness, and of the means
necessary 70 secure It. In the fourteen
months extending from December s,
1914, to February 10, 1916, there were
fifteen messages, letters and speeches
of President Wilson which have read.
In these fifteen messages, letters and
speeches during those fourteen months
President Wilson took forty-one diff
ferent positions about preparedness
and the measures necessary 90 secure
it, and each OF these forty-one posi-
tons contradicted from one to six of
the others.
"He argued for preparedness and
against preparedness. lie stated that
our army was ample. and that we did
not have enough troops TO patrol the
Mexican border in time Of peace. He
said the world was on fire and that
sparks were liable to drop anywhere
and cause US to burst into fame, and
he also said that there was no imme-
date danger. He said that there was
no sudden crisis, and then again that
he did not know what Il single dav
would bring forth. lie said that we
we're on the verge of maelstrom, and
then that there was no special or criti-
cal situation.
'In one and the same speech he said
; that sufficient number Of men would