New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-19
Peace, War and Honor.

ANXIOUS 10 DTeak lne lOICt VI tiiV i4NiNN
ment against the Administration foreign
policy drawn by Mr.. Root. They profess
10 welcome the issue raised by Mr.. Roots
speech on the ground that it must put the
Republican party in the attitude of con-
demning peace and approving war. Thus
"The World" said on Thursday. "ln so
far as Mr.. Root has power TO commit the
Republican party to a foreign policy in
opposition TO the policy of the Wilson Ad-
minstration, that policy is policy Of
war"
This wholly misrepresents the view of
those who have criticised Mr.. Wilson's
foreign policy. 1t also misrepresents the
attitude of the President and he condi-
tions which he has faced when it suggests
that with him it has always been a CUES
ton simply of preferring peace to war.
No party in this country desires war
for wars sake, and no government which
the American people would install IN
power would deliberately seek war. But,
on the other hand, no government, simply
by wishing it, can avoid war. 1t takes
two TO keep the peace. a man can always
avoid fighting if he starts to run and
keeps on running. But country cannot
run away when it is attacked Belgium
could not run away when the German
armies rushed over her eastern border. The
United States cannot crawl into its shell,
withdraw from all contact with the rest
Of the world, forbid its citizens to travel
on the seas and cease to sell its merchan-
disc abroad. SO long as we maintain IN
tercourse with other countries-even with
neutrals-we are likely TO see our rights
abridged by belligerents who are so intent
on pursuing their own interests that they
care little to what extent they sacrifice
ours.
Mr.. Wilson has recognized that he is not
free to choose peace or able to compel it.
In his recent speeches in the West he
said that he could not tell what day or
an hour would bring forth; that the
United States, though wishing for peace
was liable to be drawn into war at any
time by some frcbrand act on the part Of
one or other of the belligerents.
The President has not been at all times
for peace at any price. He risked war by
intervening in Mexico to Gust Huerta, and
he actually made war on Huerta's de facto
Mexican Government. AT the beginning
of the German submarine campaign he
sent the German Government his "strict
accountability" letter, which contained a
-. 10 r,la
the idea Of war in all the Lusitania notes,
hoping that the world would never dis
cover (as it soon did discover that what
ever frmness there was in them was only
matter Of form and phrase.
If the Democratic party expects to make
its campaign this year on platform
which insists on an unwavering and un-
conditional peace policy, the logical nomi-
nee for the Presidency is not Mr.. Wilson,
but Mr.. Bryan. Mr. Bryan is openly for
peace at any price-including lives and
honor. He has favored surrendering rights
the exercise of which might bring US into
conflict with the belligerent nations When
Secretary of State he ordered all Ameri-
cans out OF Mexico, in order to escape the
distasteful duty Of demanding protection
for their lives and property. After signing
the "strict accountability" and other
threatening notes 70 Germany he had the
candor to admit that they meant nothing
and were written merely for political ef-
feet at home. He wanted TO forbid Ameri-
can citizens from travelling on the mer-
g no r,o4forc Of xror Hp
was willing to make any remuneration of
right and submit to any surrender of neu-
trail privilege which would help to keep
the United States clear of controversies
with the belligerent powers. lie still OPP
poses all measures of military prepared
ness, because he wants TO make the peo-
pie Of this country realize the hopeless
ness Of taking up arms under any provo
cation or in any cause.
With Mr.. Bryan as a candidate the
Democratic party and "The World" could
have their clear-cut issue-that peace at
any price is better than war on airy terms.
But with Mr. Wilson as candidate there
could be no such issue. The indictment
against Mr.. Wilson's foreign policy rests
on other grounds. The vital trouble wi,
it has been that it didn't mean what it
said; that it has been insinccre ~avering
and futile. The President has failed be-
cause he neglected 10 set himself one clear,
definite national task and to stick to that
task consistently, whether the outcome for
us was peace or war
1t 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 0vertake us
unawarcs. The first duty Of the President
ut that time was to put the country into
a condition to defend itself But Mr.. VII