The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-01-30

11oHaoent wilson 1s putting Amerl-i 1
ca in place she has never befs1 e |
cupied in the world 3 politics. said
Josiah Wedgewood, member of parlia.
ment for Newcastle-on-Tyne, in a re-
cent interview.
eff America becomes one of a leapue
OF nations a1ai this war, it will mean
that the future peace of Europe is vir-
tually guaranteed. Without America
with her force, her influence and her
power in world 8 affairs in such lea
que, it would inevitably fail.
II regard President Wilson 8 mes
sage as one of the most hopeful things
that has come to the world in centuries.
In saying this view it from the effect
that will accrue to all civilization to
successfully brng about the league Of
nations the President so strongly COM
mits this country to.
"His are not the proposals of
dreamer or an idealist. He has stated
what America can do. What he says
implies NO coercion. All that President
Wilson asks is that the warning ma
tions make such terms of peace as Am
erica can legitimately back up.
I'm what he promises for America 3
part in league Of nations after the
war he offers in enormous bribe to the
Allies and to German. He says in eff
feet: eff you will make peace on
terms Of democracy, terms upon which
iles- Ahtts = nasions shall be
protected by the bigger ones, and if
you will consent to forego mere ideas
Of territorial expansion, then, as the
strongest neutral in the world, we shall
be with you He speaks for a peace
that will be permanent, and says, that
America will not, for his part, take part
in any after-negotiation that does not
have permanent peace as basis.
= 81 believe that neither the Govern
ment of Germany nor those of the al
lies are in a mood to accept President
Wilson's peace suggestions today. But
the great result Of the message is that
it has impressed itself upon the public
mind Of all countries, and that it is
bound, sooner or later, to create a pub
lie opinion that will be of estimable
value when the time comes to talk
peace. ----
"In telling England that navalism
must go-that is, that she cannot hope
to have undeniable freedom of the
seas in war time any more than in
peace, if America is to support peace
terms, he has taken bold attitude
Yet this very pronouncementw was cheer
ed to the echo at the Trades Union Con-
ference at Manchester, where President
Wilson g name was acclaimed as that of
no other politician or statesman has
been acclaimed in England in many q
day. ---s.-,s.-.
GAS to British navalism in another
war, it must be recognized that If we
are going to have an agreement among
the nations it has got ito be an agree
ment that cemprehends absolute free
dom of the. seas. That principle could
not be worked out IN this war because
Of the German violations Of all. inter
national rules. Of the sea, but it can be
worked out after the nations come to
eether in. q league such as the Presi-
dent proposes ~-
GAS to President Wilson being an
idealist in his view Of the disarment
of the nations, the fact is that he. 10
I far from t. Great Britain and France
have shown by the way they have rails
ed tremendous armies Of powerful fight
ing strength that soldier, can be made
Of the rawest material. America has
the same kind Of material in her 100,
OOO, 900 people to work with and could
just as easily as France or England
raise an army that would go into the
field and achieve brilliant results.
GAS to the navies, it would not be
either necessary or expedient for any
nation to have preponderating force,
for, with league of nations, stress
could be quickly applied if one of the
league of big power outside Of it
suddenly launched war. If Germany
should say that she was not in the lea
que Of nations, and England, France
and America were, Germany would get
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