The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-12-29


fine stock by the carload and sell it to
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WILSON'S DIPLOMACY.
Diplomacy is as technical as bridge
building The average editor and the
average person, if he attempted to discuss
the latter science, would make some very
grave mistakes. Things as simple as A, B, c.
to an engineer, would strike him as impos-
sible- But because diplomacy is science
of soft words and not iron beams, the lay
mind thinks itself qualified to interpret the
of internationalism.
OF the many plumbers amateur diplo-
macy has made in the present war, the
most amusing, probably, is the adverse
comment, both here and abroad. by
press and private people, on President
Wilson's note of the 18th instant due to
misleading of the following paragraph:
' the 3 that tss s ss Which, # f ss
s 1 U the are Hgst on on both sides mind II
srg2s t. @ Their heir .S
and small states against aggression or denial
and as ese no t anq p Eya Of the
I peop n ee fq tire aOng with all Other
Each would be eaoas s Of the oroS q amy
amid uItpg 9s s@ nn SF sse balance Of
sure psaee and see League Of NATIONS to
shaE final step can be taken however each it nee
etainy s e ns present th n Mer
reedo Of 6s n naa the 6S Sea
From rhetorical standpoint. the phrase
as stated IN general terms" etc, in the
hrst sentence, is misplaced 1t should be in a
less exposed position, so to speak, less liable
to be overlooked. Thus" x < < the objects
which the statesmen of the belligerents or
both sides have in mind in this war. as
stated IN general terms to their own people
and to the world, are virtually the same.
See now much stronger that is!
Then, again, the succeeding sentences
beginning each side Each side desires
to insure equal rights for all: each i,
ready Tor peace league, ETC., etc. Con
s.ruction here, instead of weakening the
tnougnt, strengthens it. In purely literar,
work that strives for precision above every
tnlng, the word understood would hay,
10 be inserted, thus: Each side is under
STOOD to desire equal rights for all, etc.
mat President Wilson did not so Dhras
ms thoughts IS due to no ignorance q
rhetoric, but to the technique of diplomacy
Weakness IS diplomacy's greatest strenptf
we are not speaking of matters fha
have reached the ultimatum STAGE Pr,
ordinarily, the ranker the offence n
miioer must be the. language describin
It. The Technology of diplomacy. there
tore, consists of phrases of deferenc,
argument is cloaked in modifyino STATE
ments, and direct assertion is avoided >
much as possible
| Emphasizing the first sentence a.
weakening the others, Wilson would hay
raised big doubt as g the sincerity 81 II
d1fterent governments Each side SAY
It desires only its own welfare: each s;f
SAY 1t desires to safeguard the rights
small nations; each side SAYS it desir,
a lasting peace, and not merely an onno
tunlty to prepare for future ageressiar~-
such an emphasis would not leave n
various chancelleries of Europe in ver
favorable frame of mind, either toware
each other or towards the United State
wilson, as an honest neutral, accents Wit
out question the statements of the var;o,
chiefs OF state, and simply adds: sorhe
Things being so, everybody is a great de
nearer peace than they dreamed" and iii
IS the Interpretation that will be placed
the note IN official quarters.