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

Many times i'm the last month The Irlo-
une has warned its Allied friends, and
particularly It's English friends. against
an easy optimism which assumed that the
mass of the people Of the United States
would sec and understand the war as it
IS seen and understood in London and
Paris. These warnings. it would seem.
have fallen on deaf ears and have beer
demolished by the counts assertions Of
those who let their hopes dictate to their
judgment and their sympathies obscure
their vision.
To-day The Tribune renews its warn
ing. That portion Of Mr.. Wilson's note
which has excited the most protest and
the profoundest amazement in Allied CAPT
tails is precisely the portion that most ac-
curately represents American public senti-
ment. The very best thing that the
British and French peoples can do is to
realize once for all that he mass Of Amer
lean opinion is neutral. that it IS going TO
stay neutral, and that it has not, and will
not. accept the view OF the war which pre-
walls IN Allied nations. despite such evi-
dence as the Belgian nfames supply.
\ German proposal Of peace which con-
tains the suggestion that Germany should
retain any French or Belgian territory
will excite sharp denunciation in America.
II is the sober Judgment Of the mass Of
American opinion that France and Bel
GUM should be evacuated and that this IS
the essential condition of peace. Of just
peace; but beyond this American sympa-
thy. like American knowledge. does not
20 and viii not 90.
Whatever effect British propaganda
might have had two years ago, OF one
year ago, it will have none now. The
mass Of Americans believe that the pres
cnt war is exactly what Mr.. Wilson has
stated namely. "a piece Of collective mad
ness" They are quite as much in the
dark as he processes to be as to the issues
Of the war and the purposes Of the ma
tons engaged. They do not. and they
never are going to, accept the British
view hat the war is a war for civilization
and that the first essential to peace Is the
crushing defeat Of Germany.
II has been a mistake, and it may be
worse than a mistake. for the British
government and the British people TO as
sumo that the mass Of Americans agree
with them and see the war as they see d..
1t is a mistake, and it may be worse than
a mistake. for British public men to act
on the assumption that there are two sets
Of people outside Of the British Empire
Americans and foreigners. This is the
error that has underlain all British policy
so far and il has led 10 consequences that
arc now plain 20 every one.
The English people have been told that
Mr.. Wilson did not represent the Ameri-
can people, that his views were not those
Of his countrymen and that they would
be repudiated by his countrymen. But
they have not been repudiated and Mr..
Wilson has been reelected. He is going
10 be President for four more years, and
his views are not going 20 be changed.
He is going 10 continue 10 treat Germans
and Englishmen, Frenchmen and Aus
trians. and the respective governments Of
these peoples, without regard TO the moral
issue involved in the present war; and in
this he will have all the support that he
desires from his fellow countrymen.
4 year ago The Tribune warned It's
British friends with all the clarity il pos
sessed that unless they changed their
methods the Germans would end by assert
ing a complete mastery Of American pub
lic sentiment, and that the result would
be that American official sentiment would
respond TO public sentiment. The thing has
happened. 1t Is useless now 20 point 10
past warnings or 10 mistakes that are now