New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-25

irreparable. Bucharest and Washington
have fallen in the same month, and they
have fallen as result Of similar blum
ders and similar misapprehensions
II the British and the French govern
ments and people are we'll advised now
The Tribune believes they will give over
all thought that America is sympathetic
country. that any community Of ideas or
views exists so far as the present strug-
gle is concerned. Both Britain and France
have loyal friends here, who have done all
that they could. and will continue TO do
what they can, because they believe that
the French and British views Of the war
are correct. and that the German firing
line is Just beyond The present frontier OF
civilization.
But these friends are a minority they
have not been able TO shape American sen
timent. and they will not be able 70 shape
10 now. America does not understand the
war as the Allies do; it does not see It a.
the British and the French see If. 1t IS
not going TO see il that way. The fact
that ties Of race and language bind us to
Britain and an old alliance connects us
with France does not change the essential!
fact. The sooner the Allies begin TO think
of America as a foreign nation, not neces-
sarily friendly and certainly not in the
east Of their view in the present world
crisis. the better for them.
Mr.. Wilson's effort to serve the cause
Of peace will be criticised here because Of
the clumsiness with which it was made
and the failure that is likely to attend It,.
It will be more severely criticised as each
successive explanation serves to indicate
more clearly a purpose to depart from the
historic policy Of aloofness from all Euro
pean disputes. But it will not be criticised
in the sense in which it is being criticised
in London and Paris, save by the friends
Of the Allied governments and Of the Al
lied principles, who do not control Ameri-
can public sentiment, who do not repre-
sent American opinion and cannot now
hope to shape American Judgment.
It is a thankless task for newspaper
like The Tribune, which does sincerely
share the English and French view Of
German purposes and methods, to say
these things TO those who are fighting for
what it believes in. Such statement, made
by The Tribune in the past, has neither
been accepted as true nor recognized as
the warning of a friend. But, after all,
these are minor considerations. What IS
essential is that the fact be made as plain
as possible.
Earnestly, solemnly. The Tribune warns
It's British and French friends against any
assumption that what Mr.. Wilson has said
is the individual blindness Of a man who
happens to be President Of the United
States. II is nothing Of the sort. The
words that have hurt the British and the
French people most are the words that
are most thoroughly expressive Of the
opinion of the mass Of the American PEG
pie who have any opinion whatever and
who are not totally Indifferent to the war
and its issues.
America is not pro-Ally and it never
will be. II does not see the war as the
British and French see it, and there is
no chance now that il will. Mr.. Wilson's
least happy words, Mr.. Wilson's failures
which most offend the British and the
French. are a great deal more nearly an
accurate expression Of American opinion
than anything that any American friend
Of Britain or France has said or can say;
and the sooner this is recognized abroad
the sooner there will be removed real
peril and a misapprehension Of almost IN
limited capacity for evil.