The Washington times., 1916-01-04
GERMANS PROCLAIM
WILSON A CONVERT
The Frankfurter Zeitung Says
Preparedness Speech Shows
He Now Favors Militarism.

President Wilson Is halted rs a con-
vert to the idea OF German militarism hv
the Frankfurtcr Zei.ung, in a long cdi-
torial on the Presidents program OF pre-
paredness. as outlined IN his address be-
fore the Manhattan Club. In New YORK.
on November A. Furthermore. this lead
ing German paper sees no danger to
Germany through a strengthening Of the
fighting forces. OF the United States. and
welcomes such n DEVELOPMENT as being
directed against Great Britain and ia
nan. Excerpts from the editorial fol-
low.
mo matter when and how the war
ends and on what conditions peace is
based. one thing is certain. and that Is
that the 'militarism' which our enemies
according to their announcements and
supported by the sympathies Of hostile
nsutrals living in Germany. intend to de-
stroy, will by no means be done away
with. No people has been louder in de-
nouncing the German system than me
American. and even their President. with
not paving much regard to the limits
usually observed hv high state officials
In their speech. has let II become known
that he looked upon England war
againat Germany as tho struggle or the
modern. civilian. democratic ideal
ism and force.
Change In Ideas.
But in the course OF the war there
has been change in the Presidents
ideas. and although we have no reason
10 suppose that he has become more
sympathetic toward Germany, he has
come considerably nearer to the Ger
man view of the state. Wilson's con-
speech which he delivered at the iubi-
lee banquet of the Manhattan Club on
November 4. AS in England, the Ameri-
can statesmen often announce their
most important steps at dinners. and the
Manhattan speech is weighty state
document. The President did not speak
offhand. az he generally does. but read
every word from a printed paper. Con-
sequently. the speech has the practical
signifCance of a message to the people
of the United states and will form the
basis of a great campaign in Congress
and throughout the country.
"He finds no trouble in abandoning
his own love Of peace for the doctrine
OF preparedness and. remarkably
enough. his explanation sounds Just like
that Of all the European miitarists,
l. p, We are peaCeable to our very
marrow, but we feel that We are jusu-
fed in preparing to maintain our right
to independence and to freedom Of
action.
Has Naval Program.
WILSON'S speech also contains a naval
nrogram. For good reasons he outlined
II only briefly. but it is very significant
In order to bring the American feet up
to extraordinary force and efficiency.
nothing more is demanded than a speed
ing up of the present policy and fixed
plan. not made from year to year. but
based on the needs of the distant future
and with definite aims. Consequently.
it is question of naval legislation along
German lines and of the speeding up Of
more ships and an increase in the num-
Der of sailors as the President has al
ready indicated.
NATURALLY there is much greater dan
ger Of militaristic misuse of the naval
forces. destined merely for defense. than
there is in the case Of the army But
this danger doesn't worry the President
much. He closed his speech with high
sounding words about Justice and free
dom and a audaton Of the American n
nation. which God has buiided by our
hands mixed with labs at those Aneri-
cans who place their racial higher than
their national feelings a criticism which
gives the German-American Just cause
to feel Gravelv insulted.
Germany has no reason TO feel wor-
RED over the Presidents plans. On the
contrary. the more efficient the United
states becomes in military sense the
aced are our enemies. England and ia
pan. against which the United States
will have to defend itself in the future.
as We are doing now "