New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-13

"HE time Of the wise, according to an
English essayist of the middle nine
teenth century, is chiefly occupied in
repairing the mischief done by the good. The
wise are always scarce and have never been so
scarce in Europe as at present, but the good
seem to be more numerous than ever, and
among them are many Americans. For good
Americans no longer wait until they die to
come to Paris. All the Americans over here
are ardently pro-Ally, or at least, pro-French,
and that is as it should be. Those who have
lived in France could hardly be anything else;
if had not been a devoted admirer of France
and the French all my life ten years resi-
dence in France would have made me one. AS
it is, my English friends accuse me of think
ing only of France in regard to the present
war and Of alphabetically ignoring the inter
ests of my own country. So cannot criticize
Americans for doing likewise; l would merely
venture to suggest that they should temper
their zeal with discretion.
Nearly all the Americans l meet here cannot
find words to express their contempt for Presi-
dent Wilson. They declare that the whole
American people is inspired by a passionate
longing to fling itself into the war and is re-
strained only by the Presidents white-ivered
obstinacy. The French find it rather difficult
to believe this; after nearly two years ex-
of MD
standing that anybody that has kept out of it
hitherto should want to be in it. Still, they
think that Americans ought to know best the
state of mind of their own countrymen and
they can but accept their description of it a
true one. The result is that, while Mr. Wilson
is accused by the pan-German press of favor
ing the Allies under cover Of a sham neutral
ity some of his fellow-countryme are leading
the French to believe that he is their enemy.
| cannot think that the propagation of this
view of American opinion and of Mr. Wilson's
policy, which seems to me, so far as / can
Judge to be an entirely false one, is likely to
better the already excellent relations between
France and the United States. After all, it
seems at least possible that Mr.. Wilson may
continue to govern the United States for an
be wiser on the part of Americans in Europe
not to do all in their power to discredit him.
The views of Americans living in Europe
might be discounted; many of them have been
so long out of their own country that they
might be expected to be out of touch with
American opinion. Unfortunately, the same
view of American opinion and of Mr.. Wilson's
policy is offered to us by Americans fresh from
the United States, who have crossed the At
lantic to tell US what the American people
thinking. You in America have an enormous
advantage over US in Europe in the fact that
you have no professional diplomatists. Your
ambassadors are not diplomatists, they do not
profess to be diplomatists and they never at
tempt to play the diplomatic game. Therein
lies the secret of their success and the guaranty
of your security. Had you had professional
dplomatsts as ambassadors, YOU would prob.
ably by now be at war with one or other of the
belligerent groups perhaps with both. But,
nrschievous as is the professional diplomatist,
the amateur diplomatist is, if possible, even
more mischievous; he does not even know the
game that he is trying to play, he is under no
control and he can not be recalled. And he is
so thoroughly and dangerously good.
At the present moment distinguished
American architect Mr.. Whitney Warren. is
almost universally regarded in France as the
chief and best authorized representative of
American opinion. My wicked American
friends in Paris mean, of course, my col
leagues of the press-tell me that this would
cause great establishment in the United States,
where Mr. Whitney Warren's political influ-
ence is neither great nor extensive Yet the
whole French press, the members of the Insti-
tute, the leading politicians, the most eminent
representatives in France of literature, science
and art, will tell you with one voice that
through the mouth of Mr.. Whitney Warren
speaks the great American people. | do not
know why they think so; the only reason that
they have for their belief, so far as can dis
cover, is that Mr.. Warren himself has said it.