The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-01-19
ROOSEVELT AFTER
PROBE OF LEAK
Roughrider Calls Wilson's Note
immoral Only Gamblers
Profitted BY II

| NEW 1Ohh, January - CoInnel
Roosevelt, breaking the silence he bad
maintained since the day before cleo.
ton, vigorously attacked President
Wilson and his administration today.
He picked out the Wilson peace note
and Secretary Of state Lsnsing's ex.
pinhstion Of Il as the text for his at.
tack, and also demanded an investiga
tion Of the charges that persons close
to the administration had benefited by
the consequent agitation of the stock
market. He did not mention names
in this connection.
hSenator Lodge and Congressman
Gardner" he said, |" have rendered a
great public service and have made all
good citizens of this country their
debtors. The defenders of the admin
istration are still actively discussing
whether the President g recent NANTES
to was a peace note or war note, the
Presidents Secretary of State having
interpreted in two opposing directions
within six hours. To be sure this repre-
sents a rather longer interval than that
usual between changes of mind Of the
administration, but in the present in.
stance there seems to have been more
design than usual in the changes CT
mind. .. -.
For while neither the dream nor
the two interpretations thereof have
the slightest effect in securing peace
in Europe, they have an extraordinary
effect upon the market in New York,
and, to judge from what read in the
papers the net effect, and the only net
eject Of this supposed action for peace
was 10 ruin an immense number of
small investors who were not fore.
warned for the benefit Of very few
persons, who at least showed that they
were inspired by prophetic insight con.
corning the handling of our foreign
affairs =.
Profoundly Immoral and Misleading
"'Nor is this all. The note takes 20.
sitions so profoundly immoral and mis-
leading that high minded and right.
thinking American citizens, whose
country this note places in a thorough.
ly false light, in honor are bound to,
protest. To say that the Germans,
who have trampled Belgium under heel
and are at this moment transporting
10000 Belgians TO serve as state slaves
in Germany, are fighting for the same
thing as their hunted victims, the Bel
gians, who have fought only for theiI
country and their heprthstones and
their wives and their children, is not
only o falsehood, but a Gallons and
most immoral falsehood, a thing shock
ing to every high minded man who
loves the peace of righteousness.
4 L. m -. q
al some unknown date in the hereafter
the American people intend to safe
guard the rights of small nationalities
against big and ruthless nations which
assail them, Unless this is a hypoc-
risy, let the President begin now. and
in such CASE let him promptly withdraw
this note which has given comfort and
aid only 10 the oppressors of Belgium,
and in which he has not dared to say
one word IN behalf of the rights Of
Belgium. ~
.'tBut, perhaps, the most preposterous
absurdity is the statement that the
United States is ready and eager to
guarantee the peace of the world The
spectaele of the President trying by
the aid of Messrs. Daniels and Baker
10 guarantee the peace of any nation
under the sun against a single power
ful and resolute foe is az comic as any,
thing that was ever written by Arte-
mus Word. OF course, as q matter Of
fact, the words mean nothing what.
ever. Mr.. Wilson pompously an
| nounces that we are to use every re-
source at our command to secure the
future peace of the world at the very
| time thOt, after three wears Of effort
be is helplessly unable to secure peace
in that small part of the world imme-
dtately adjoining us which Is called
Mexico. IT'D
Illuminating Vague Threats
"The President is nervously backing
away from Mr.. Carranza and he is bus.
lily engaged in finding new excuses for
not securing peace in Mexico at the
very time that he is Illuminating these
vague threats and uttering these vague
promises in reference to the formidable
powers who are engaged in their great
death wrestle across the seas.
LET the President keep the promise
we made in The Hague conventions and
let him bend all his energies to secure
the ideals of universal obligatory mill.
tary trimming and military service for
our young men before, in the inter-
est Of the nation that has wronged Bel
GUM and that has murdered our citi-
gems on the high seas by the hundreds,
he, makes promises which he could not
Ifulfll and Eliminates threats which,
when his own secretary nf state takes
them seriously, so frightens Wall
Street that the same secretary of state
is forced immediately to announce that
his Interpretation was mistaken and
that all these same threats are to be
/ interpreted in a strictly Pickwickian
sense. -
Mr.. Roosevelt declined to add any
thing TO his statement, although II is
understood that be has entered the
fight TO force an investigation Of the
so-called ''leak" from Washington.
and will back up the demands made by
/ Representative W. r. Wood. of Indiana.
representative Gnrdnrr of Massaebu.
setts, and other Republicans. He is
also determined to aid Senator I,odge.
OF Massachusetts, in his fight against
the senate endorsement Of the Wilson
peace note "."3H#