The Washington herald., 1917-02-25

ed out in two years of silent warfare.
and carefully kept secret by the British
and French navies, but as know from
conversations with naval officers at the
base Of the grand feet last summer. the
highest opinion is entertained by the
British senior service for our sailors. I
put this very point to distinguished
admiral, who said, TT would take time,
Of course, but in the hypothetical case
you mention your splendid feet would
soon be doing invaluable work"
The shortage in ships, which seems
likely to increase, and the time neces-
sary to raise, equip and train an army,
make It most unlikely in the opinion of
soldiers that q formidable United States
force could enter the war on the west
ern front, even II the political objections
Of Americans to lighting in Europe were
overcome by war fever. But the sight
OF a column Of American regulars march,
ing UP Piccadilly or down the Camps
Elysees would set London and Paris
crazy.
Most Eagerly Awaited.
It Is then for the moral effect upon the
belligerent nations and the whole world
that the decision of the United States
Is most eagerly awaited. NJ. Stephen
Pichon, former French minister for
foreign affairs, declared in q conversation
with me, Your entry into the war even
II not an American soldier reached Europe
would clinch our victory. Germany knows
well enough that you are the one uncon-
querable nation in the world. She her
self Is dependent upon outside countries
for food to fight an indefinite war, and
upon certain raw materials, and she
knows from experience that she can be
strangled by 3 blockade; England, too,
must have food and munitions from over
sea and she could not survive naval
disaster; France Is not self-sufhcient,
Russia not highly industrialized enough
to make all her own munitiona But
America is the one country to whom none
OF these limitations apply. She has
plenty of money, plenty Of men, all the
raw materials needed to make war,
enough food to make her independent, SO
that no defeat by sea or land could force
her to a disastrous peace That is what
I mean by saying that you are the one
uncomfortable nation. Food Is the heel
of Achilles for Germany, We all over here
have our weak spots. but you are In
vulnerable"
Before the war It was soldiers and
ships that We counted in estimating mill
tary force. but now We know that in q
death-grapple It Is food and men and in
dustrial power that bring victory. whether
or not countries are organized at the be-
ginning. provided the unorganized power
can gain time at the beginning before
being overrun. You can gain time to
prepare. for not even q sea defeat would
enable q foe to land armies and keep
them munitioned faster than you could
raise troops So. II you break with Ger
many, she will know that you cannot be
defeated, and your history shows that
-
out cause. The one thing needed to bring
Germany to a realization Of defeat short
Of decisive disasters In the field, Is the
entry into the war Of the United states."
Would Not Hurt Peace Plan.
There Is no reason. in the opinion OF
British Liberals, why the possible bel
ngerency Of the United States should i'm
peril President Wilson's dream Of q world
peace league. with a voice In the con-
ference. America could stand out for the
Liberal principles which shs demands II
she Is to guarantee by her own armed
strength the permanency Of the settle
ment arrived at. During the month be-
fore the German submarine bomb ex-
ploded, the growing friendliness here to-
ward the Presidents proposals was most
noticeable Scores Of mon know who
fairly frothed at the mouth with anger
when the Wilson peace note arrived In
December have since been converted to
MS proposals. and the only Wilson
Engnshnen remaining, broadly speaking,
are the pronounced Tories. But this
statement Is subject to the ono important
qualification that all Enslishmen believe
the President is making q mistake in
trying to deal with the government of
Germany on the same plane as with those
OF the entente countries. Once let us
beat Germany. and We can be as liberal
as the President desires, but he doesn't
see that his cause and ours Is lost under
Whatever paper settlement we make un-
less that defeat takes place" said n LIB
eral editor to me. These are our tarrns
or II they are not, they ought to be %
was the comment Of the Manchester
Guarolan on the Presidents speech to
movement
Commander Josiah wedgewood. a lead
mg member Of Parliament, who has re-
Gently been in America, summed I'D suo-
clnctly view Of the proposed American
participation in the settlement which rem
resents the mass of British Liberal opin-
lon' as I have found 1t during the past
rev days. THE Importance of the Prest-
cents speech" he said. comes from the
ueclaratlon that America will not guar
antee or bolster up any peace which
leaves small races in bondage, or nre-
vents nations from access to the sea
This Is admirably in accord with our
views as laid down in Mr. Balfour.a M
pero note But the question that natu-
rally interests US most il: VIII the Pred
oent. Will America. guarantee or boIste-
up peace to which the belligerents
agree provided that it does not comn,it
these onenses against democracy
America to Protect Pe.c.
Let Us be quite clear. We do .ar,.s+-
" want America to protect the neace
"hen 1t comes. We would even sacri1cs
good deal to get that protection n
know that II the peace Is broken. All that
america can put in the field will be on o1r
SIDE In future. to know that In f1,trr.
the peace-breaker would be a mar excens
tionally rash.
That the President is willing to AZ
cept the natural situation and give his
protection to an honest peace, Just as he
would refuse his protection to a dishonest
one is tolerably clear. What is not vet
clear Is whether he would be backed bv
the American people. believe Mr.. WI
sons position in America is very strong
and American unselnshness suficient
ohere Is no reason why We should NOT
give them credit and the right word To
carry this through But the LIBERAL onan-
ion here, to which he appeals wants some
proof Of this