Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1916-01-13
THE PRESIDENTS CRITICS

There are two kinds OF diplomacy-the diplomacy that leads to a
and the diplomacy that leads to peace. say the New York World
Europe is the victim OF II kind OF diplomacy; the United States
is the beneficiary OF the ether, unless W e are to regard war a a national
blessing.
To Americans who believe that the United States should have allied
itself with Great Britain, France and Russia in making W a upon Ger
many and Ausrollun@ay, the presidents diplomacy is necessarily a
failure, and the more it succeeds the worse it fails. The more completely
Germany and Ausi:o-Iungary yield to the demands Of the Cn1tedS states
government, the more reprehensble the presidents policy:
To Americans who want wa with the Teutonic allies anything that
prevents war, o NJ natter what terms, lust inevitably be ln1qutous.
On those grounds, criticism OF the presidents handling OF foreign at
fars is logical and unanswerable. If the circumstances OF this European
war are such that the United States government should have plunged
into it regardless OF public opinion, or national interests or tn general
welfare. then Mr.. Wilson deserves the most severe censure that a be
heaped upon him. But upon n o other grounds al lie D eensureoo
If we ought ito be in the war a a matter OF sentiment then all AIS
successful efforts to uphold American rights without going to al re
a national reproach.
Nobody will pretend that the president has yielded any principle Of
neutral rights Nobody ca say that he has acquesced in any practice
OF the part OF beligerents which is in defiance Of law and humanity.
What can be charged against him is that he resorted to the stoW m
patient processes of dplomay when he had a n excuse TO plungmg INT
country into var If we should be at a because European atesman
ship was inadequate to the task OF keeping the peace. or because Ger
many a the aggressor in beginning host1ites, then tn president
Diplomatic successes are shameful, and it is the solemn duty OF congress
to exercise the powers which the constitution coniers upon it.
Congress cal repudate the reply OF Ausro-Hungary in tn Ancona
case. 1t can repudiae the pledges OF Germany in the Arabic case 1t
can obterate the negotiations with Germany for a final settlement OF
the Iusnania case. 1t a declare wa whenever it chooses and for
whatever reasons it chooses 1t is the sole arbiter.
The newspapers and the politicians who continue to find fault with
what the president has done and to sheer att the diplomacy OF the United
States government are directing their attacks in the wrong quarter.
Unless representative government has mysteriously ceased to exist, their
quarrel is with congress. To say that the president is opposed to a
does change the situation. President Mckinley as opposed o thu
ar with Spain, but he had to yield to public opinion and congressional
determinations. President Wilson would have % yield, too, if public
opinion and congress asserted their power.
There can be no honest or sincere criticism OF the presidents poll
c or of the presidents diplomacy which does not begin with the premise
that diplomatic negotiations between the United States and the Teuton-
&c allies are wrong per Sc and that this country should be at war.