The Detroit times., 1917-04-04
|WAR NOTE
| PRAISED IN
DETR ROT
Leading Citizens Back
Wilson In Move
For Defense
GERMAN PAPER
GROWS BITTER
Presidents Attitude Is
One-Sided, Says
Abend Post

Judges, lawyers, businessmen and
others prominent I'm Detroits sf.
fairs generally. applauded the I'D
dress OF President Wilson. Tuesday
morning. The interest In what was
generally regarded as one Of the
most important pronounoements
emansting from the White House in
I generation outshadowed that cf
the election.
In hotels. clubs. public buildings
and offcial circles II was the chief
topic OF conversation and the gen
eral impression was that II was
justified and eminently fair.
The Abend Post, Detroit's daily
German Newspaper. however. could
find no excuse for the uttersnce and
criticized II severely In It's leading
editorial which closes with q ain.
lister warning to America that 1T
will hnd II difncult 90 survive with
honor and justify its action to pos
terity"
This editorial, under the cap
ton. The speech OF the president"
fails TO admit that President Will
son is within his rights In the ac.
ton be has taken and lIkens hlm
10 one who has assumed the rights
OF prosecuting attorney and
Judge in one.
"If." says the editorial. instead
of President Wilson, a prosecutor
had been before congress asking
power OF attorney 10 enable him .
carry on a war against Germany
with all the resources available In
the country no comment would be
necessary. because ~ the nature OF
the once OF prosecutor. His once
would carry with II the idea that
II was his duty 10 convince judge
and jury that the accused was
guilty. The once entrusted by tho
people TO the FIRST oficer OF the
land Ia not 90 be interpreted as
such, however. He IL neither Judge
nor prosecutor. however and he
reaches beyond his powers when he
assumes such poweEs as did Presl-
dent Wilson In a passionate man
ner yssterday.
"HIs utteFAnces with the excep
tEon of very FEW points which refer
20 the relationship with other ma
tions. cites a whole chain OF very
serious accusations against Ger
many on account OF the renewal 81
the U-boat warfare. for which he
finds not a single point Of justinca
tion.
"Altho he seems 10 have tried to
exercise care In the preparation OF
his speech he has not avoided mis-
takes and he hardly mentions tho
free passage Of American relief
ships On the other hand he puts
emphasis on the right Of nations
&c regulate traffc between nations
This law. az the president states
was built up from step 10 step and
sltho today not fully complete, he
believes n should be enforced
against Germany 10 the utmost
while he allows England TO violate
Il daily. In this point he II very
seriously one-sided"
IF n is true that Germany has
violated International law by her
U-boat warfare, then the violations
on the part OF England have been
legion thru 10 decades. Not a word
r. mentioned In the accusations on
that point. Nevertheless. Prosecu.
tor Wilson treats the violator OF
the rules OF the sea from olden
times. meaning England, as II re.
warding her and her Allies To
the one who has violated American
rights many times and in the widest
scope. great lenieDcy is shown.
with open eyes the country 10
drifting towards very serious times
She will require blood and money
ir such proportions as no one today
can forcsee. President Wilson en-.
poets congress TO grant him the
means and also the sanction OF sac
r.hces which he requests IL We
are not mistaken he will be given
both. as committee resolutions in
dicate.
"Of course, the rights OF the
American people must be safe
guarded. That In the duty OF the
government, and N they are violst.
ed by a foreign nation we must call
that foreign nation to account; but
this action IL taken in such a way
tfat II rebounds 10 the beneht OF
England and the Entente while our
country has 10 bear the expense.
That Is the sore point in the whole
procedure As a proverb says. The
worlds history is the worlds court.
The iron pencil OF history wiz
write OF these deeds and bring be
fore the living American generation
the dinfcult problem OF showing
posterity how difhcult II was 70
survive with honor and justify rs
actions"