Evening star., 1916-10-01
"Too Proud to Fight"

the Lexington fight or even after the
Boston massacre, selecting the occasion
as an appropriate one for remarking
that the American people might be
too proud to fight" Imagine Abraham
Lincoln making such a statement two
days after the firing on Sumter!
president Wilson says in his speech
of acceptance that he is more Interest,"
ed in the fortunes of oppressed men
and pitiful women and children than
in any property rights whatever Pres
ident Wilson sent note after note to
England protesting against interfer-
just taken action on behalf of prop
erty rights against France and Eng
land which, if he had really thought
about it in advance, and meant what
most serious consequences with these
powers. If 1t does not have this ef-
feet it will be because Mr. Wilson's
words will again be left unbacked by
would be entirely proper and neces-
sary II he had taken the right posi-
tion on behalf of Belgium and had ex-
acted prompt atonement for the mur-
der Of our men, women and children by
German submarines. But it is i'm
proper when he has done none of these
things. 1t is sardonic evidence that
If he thinks political purpose is to be
served, he will instantly show far
more interest in property rights than
pftiful women and children, whether
in Louvain or Lille. in the United
States or in Mexico. on the high seas or
anywhere else.
dent Wilson has occupied at least two
diametrically opposite positions, we
can usually find in some of his words
an outline of the position we ought
to have taken; but almost without ex
ception, these fine words have had the
meaning weasled out of them by other
words; and usually there have been
no deeds whatever. Take, as an in
stance, the question of preparedness
and of the means necessary to secure
| from December s, 1914. to February
10, 1915, there were fifteen messages
! letters and speeches of President Will
son which 1 have read. In these If
| teen messages, letters and speeches,
during those fourteen months, Presi-
dent Wilson took f'-ty-one different
positions about preparedness and the
| measures necessary to secure 1t; and
each of these forty-one positions con-
| tradicted from one to six of the others
In many of his speeches the weasel
words of one portion of the speech
took all the meaning out of the words
used in another portion of that speech !;
and these latter words themselves had
| other words. He argued for prepared
ness and against preparedness. He
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 immediate danger.
Danger, or No Dangerr
| HE said that there was no sudden
crisis, and then again that he did not
know what a single day would bring
forth. He said that we were on tho
| verge of a maelstrom, andSthen that
there was no special or critical situa-
tion. He said the danger was con-
slant and immediate, and also that
we were not threatened from any quar-
ter. He said that there was no fear
among JUS. and also that we were in
daily danger of seeing the vital inter-
est and honor Of the country menaced
and the nag OF the United States STAIN
L