The Washington herald., 1916-04-10
By JOHN L. BALDERsroN.
tcOprsshs, yis,

6fIu EEaAlCC AASA-1 soN
interest In the American political ntua-
ton. In peace times. the comoats at home
of Democrats and Republicans attracted
no more attention here than the strug- /
giles Of Liberals and Tories excite in the /
United states, but now every one is talk
ing about next faIls election. -
Britishers and Frenchmen listen for po-
Htical echoes from across the Atlantic |
because they believe the question of
whether America is to enter the war on !
the side Of the allies win be fought out
at the polls in November. This opinion, |
very likely entirely without foundation.
Is widespread in London and Paris.
Col Roosevelt, most people here think. |
viii run on the Republican ticket against |
Wilson. and It Is held that the CoioneRs |
violently pro-aIly and anti-German utter
anees, and his denunciation, OF the weak |
ness Of the Presidents foreign policy. |
will force him to night his canpaigna on |
a war platform. Ehnu Roots speech TO |
the New York Republican Club created
most profound interest in Europe. where !
II is interpreted as committing the con- |
sentative wing Of the party to war /
policy. In view OF Roots virtual demand |
that America take her stand With the
allies, it is thought that coalition De,
tween the Republican party OF ISL ana
the ColonePs followers can easily be ar |
ranged. ~. s.
Roosevelt Versus Wilson.
Informed observers are very shy Of ex- |
pressing an opinion about, whether VIII
son or Roosevelt will win. but they: seem /
confident that II the Republicans are VIC
torious America will go to war with Ger
many. The opinion II also widely held
that the Republican campaign viii force
Wilson so to stiffen his foretsn polieyinat
he Will be driven into action before No
yeunber- and the struggle In Congress
over the resolution against Americans
travelling on belltgerent liners does not
seem to lead people to question the ,vieV
set forth above, although TO American
here the whole political situation at nome
seems hopelessly confused, and tney say /
at making any predictions. =
A xtory has gone the rounds In London i
and paris which every one has heard ard
nearly every one believes that Col House'
at a dinner with a few personal frtends
in London, said he though America would
be forced into the war, and that onU
soldiers would be sent to thu west front
a. soon thereafter as they could oe
trained and equipped. This anecdote
sounds more unlike the cautious ennissary
of the President. and am unable ID
The view. that the Republican party
will declare for a policy that means war
may be false, but 1t is easy TO explain
how Il has been current In Europe II
whenever a submarine incident or any
other war issue becomes prominent In
America, the British and French press
give prominence to the views OF Jew
orrt-and-out interventioniSts IN America
and to editorial extracts from the pro.
ally press In New York The editortA
opinions of the New York Tribune and
New York Herald. both Of which adyo-
cate war on Germany. are quoted almost
daily here, and the sober comments OF
most leading American 'nswEpspers are
entirely ignored. - III
English MtsIead By Pro-Auy rress.
In France and England, the opinion Of
Paris and London usually swsys the /
country, and so residents In those cap l
itsls and apparently. most foreign press /
correspondents In America are unable TO I
realize that New York does not occupy. a |
corresponding position In the United
States. BY dint OF constant repetition Of
the views Of the pro-wsr New York pa
pers politicians and German-Amer1can |
intrigues prevent the will Of the people
from being carried out Sober Observers, L
like the Washington correspondents or
and Paris Temps, often point out the
error Of accepting the views of a few
New York newspapers as those Of the 1
United States, but their warnings pro-
.duce little effect so long as the lanents
Of the New York papers in question that
the scorn OF the world are printed daily
all over Europe. =. Il
could not refrain from laughing the /
other day at the look Of blank, amaze
ment that came over the face OF L
French statesman, who was talking wise
" about American opinion" which he
had sounded IN New York editorials,
when I remarked, Many American poll
ticians believe that tho opinions OF the
100000 Inhabitants of New York; City
count for less than those Of any other
group OF 100000 Of our citizens.
American Aid Anxiously Awaited.
The general belief that the war OF at
triton will drag on another year or more /
without a definitely military. decision |
makes people look more anxiousiy for
any sign Of America coming in, the same |
persons who a year ago, in the expec-
tation OF big drive" that would sweep /
the Germans over the Rhine, said scorn-
fully that the United States was not |
wasted. because she could give no eff
fectiYe aid before the end Of hostilittes,
and would try in the peace conference
to mitigate the Just terms by which
Prussian militarism was to. be destroyed"
Such talk Is not heard today. |
Interest in the punitive expedition"
against villa is confined to the Influence
the situation will exert on the Presi-
Dental campaign. Most persons with i
whom I have talked think that IL Villa
Is caught and the American troops are
withdrawn within a reasonable period,
before the conventions assemble, the Incl I
dent win resound greatly to Wilson's
credit. -
They express the opinion, however, /
that such a course-of events is most un-
likely. Here, perhaps, the wish Is father /
to the thought. for they add that the
American troops, like any other troops
under the circumstances, will be out
witted by the crafty bandit, and that by
degrees all Mexico viii hare Up against /
the hated "gringoes." The Mexican sit
uation, by next summer, they believe,
will wear the aspect of gigantic mnd-
die, and viii AFFORD the best campaign |
material for Col Roosevelt, who can \
blame every mistake, every adverse In
cident in the campaign, and the uppre-