Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-29
Thinks o. S. Concerned Also.

Thinks U. 3. concerned Ateos =
IRRESPONSIBLE peace talk received fts
ouietus from Sir Edward Grey last
week, but. no doubt. President Wilson's
speech before the League to Enforce
Peace will revive the discussion in GER
tain quarters" says the Liverpool Post.
It's defniteness in certain particulars
is arresting. but perhaps to many of
his own countrymen the air of definite
ness which the President gives to some
of his phrases may seem elusive. One
can imagine many being specially dis
appointed when he says that with the
causes and objects of the war the
United States has no concern. To us.
tempt at world domination. it Is hard TO
believe that the cause for which we
stand is not of some concern to the
great republic of the west"
The Manchester Guardian says this
plan of the President is almost as old
as the first formulation of the ideal OF
organized peace, but that it never be-
fore in any part Of the world has com
manded the support accorded 1t in
America today. This newspaper says
further: The President inevitably has
confined himself to cautious and gen
eral terms, but it is impossible to miss
the significance of his declaration that
the United States would be ready to be-
nations. Twenty-one months OF war
have done much to undermine even the
rooted American aversion from ALI.
ances and leagues.
Two Points to Be Considered.
The Westminster Gazette says that
If one is to understand what President
Wilson is driving at, his speech must
be considered from two points of view
the immediate point of view of the
war and the more remote one Of re-
construction after the war. 1t con-
tinues:
This proviso is necessary, for the
Presidents neutrality in mind and
thought" is an ice cold abstraction for
a belligerent who believes he is fight
ing in the sacred cause of law and
right We do not understand how a
neutral can expect to influence these
events If he begins by declaring him.
self not to be concerned with their
causes and objects We do not see
how he is to control this 'stupendous
flood if he is not interested TO search
for or explore the obscure fountains'
from which they burst forth"
Presenting the argument that the
entente allies cannot be expected to
welcome the implied Judgment that
they really are responsible with their
for starting the war the
Gazette continues: I'VE must guard
ourselves IN advance against being
thought unreasonable or aggressive IL
we are unable to accept peace over
lures based on the assumption of equal
guilt. That being said about the inn
mediate prospect, we should be ex-
foolish to write as of unim-
portant and unpracticable what the
President says about reconstruction
after the war"
"U. S. influential World Power"
The Gazette considers President WI.
sons declaration that the United States
s willing to become a partner in any
feasible association of nations as q mo.
nentous one and asserts that Great
Britain's record for a century is an in.
iorsement OF his suggestion for estab-
ishing the security Of the highways Of
he seas. 1t adds that il the President
means sea power in war Is to be reduced
u limited in such q way as to deprive
Is Of our principal weapon and means
Il defense we should naturally have
rood deal to say on that subject
But the association of nations to pre-
,eut war has the hearty assent Of this
influential newspaper which says that
I the Presidents speech can be taken
Is a declaration Of the adhesion of tho
United States to this idea It has high