Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-20
WILSON POLICY
CALLED CRAVEN
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OkAAACO Una 1AN
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His corpuscles did not shout; they
did not even whisper; apparently all
they did was to suggest to him that 1t
was happy occasion for his classic
remark about being too proud to
fight" am tempted to think that
| Mr.. Wilson did himself an injustice
!. when he said that he was willing to
fight" either for any great cause or on
account Of any wrong hereafter done
to this country; and that the truth
was expressed the other day by his
| eager .eulogist, Secretary Baker, when
he said that he was glad" that mo
one could insult Mr. Wilson and make
! him go to war; Internationally Gen
/ eral Carranza and probably Herr Won
Tirpitz, heartily agree with Secretary
Baker - and deep in his own heart i
am inclined to believe that Mr.. Wilson
himself also agrees with him.
This case of Belgium was the first
] of Mr.. Wilson's international sins. 1t
combined lofty promise and complete
failure in performance. It consisted
OF words which were nullified by
deeds. In these respects he made it
the precedent which he followed everV
afterwards. He followed 1t when he.
wrote his strict accountability note
to Germany and then for year held
Germany to no accountability. either
strict or loose. while 1t sunk ship af-
ter ship with thousands Of nom
combatants including hundreds Of
Americans; and no atonement has
been made for the lives thus lost to
this day. When Me dealt with our
property rights, he announced to Eng
land that the United States intended
fearlessly to accept the Champion
ship" OF neutral rights. But, as in the
case Of his note to Germany, he did
nothing to back up his words. They
were words and nothing else. He said
he would hold Mexico to q "strict re-
sponsibility.' and he did not hold her
to any responsibility. He said he would
hold Germany to "strict accountable
ity," and he did not hold her to any
accountability. He said that the Eng
lish blockade was illegal, ineffective
and indefensible; and he neither made
his words good nor acted on them. He
announced that he would insist on all
our rights; and then he abandoned
tACAA Gslls 14O W1Ot0 SJTOuA uOLC6, TO
both sides! and he took no action to
accomplished nothing with either side.
We incurred resentment from both
sides. In just one respect we have
succeeded. We have induced the bel
ligerents to agree on one point. TheA
agree in their utter contempt foN
America, In their conviction that the
American people cannot be goaded in
to virile action to defend the lives OF
their men, women and children, and
in their certainty that we are actuated
only by the desire to profit by the
agonies Of our European brothers.
Instead Of speaking softly and carry
ing big stick, President Wilson
spoke enthusiastically and carried
dishrag.
Our offenses have been those OF
cold, shortsighted selfishness and OF
mean timidity which has invited, and
has therefore been partly responsible
for, the German and British offenses
against us. We could have stopped
them had we had any real leadership
in Washington; had we shown any
firmness of soul and readiness to make
effort and encounter risk for high
ideals. Kept us out Of war;" II the
Wilson administration could point to
one sacrifice this nation has made for
the right, to one indication Of willing
ness to face loss on behalf Of prin-
ciple. 1t might deserve some credit
But 1t deserves none. Thanks to Prest
ident Wilson, we have shown ourselves
too craven to stand up for our own
rights, or for the rights Of weaker
peoples. II we had done as We ought
to have done. our neutrality woNd
have been a badge Of honor and not
one Of shame. II we had shown EN-.
phatically that we intended to give
square deal to everyone, and to de.
mand square deal for and from every
one II we had done for Mexico what
under President Mckinley we did foe
Cuba.
Had we so acted, we would have
proved ourselves loyal Americans IN ,
the first place and in the next place
we would have shown . veritable, in.
stead Of q sham, loyalty to humanity.
We would have proved that our devo.
ton to humanity was more than mere
lip worship. But let It be understood
from the beginning that never can we
or any other nation take such posi-.
ton unless there Is both preparation
in advance and also the willingness to
sacrifice something in order to com.
pel the observance of the nations owr
sovereign rights, and In addition to |
enable 1t to perform its duty to the
rest Of mankind. \
HAWKEYES GIVEN