New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-24
The Roosevelt Decision
1t Is Viewed as Test Between the
People and the President
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

attempt to set aside the offer OF the voiun-
teer divisions as something merely dramasic
and quite impractical, while superhcisiiy
clever. is but vain and petty subterfuge. was
he concerned only in the pleasure he wouid
have in gratifying small boy ex-fresideht
He suavely says: at would be very agreeable
to me to pay Mr.. Roosevelt this compliment
But this is not the time or the &C.
casion for compliment, or for any action not
calculated to contribute to the immediate sue
cess of the war; In the offer OF Coionei
Roosevelt and his 2ss 900 men President Will
son had offered to him the united support OF
Nh. whole American people, but he could not
recognize the fact, and he refused IL. Inc
inheritance of sending Roosevelt TO France
was the very practical Importance OF sendihe
70 the Allies that assurance Of complete Amer
lean support which would mean the most 10
them and be the most severe blow we couio
Immediately deal the Kaiser and his miii.ar-
ists This would certainly be Calculated 10
contribute TO the immediate success OF the
war; really immediate, before September l.
There is nothing which he could have done
which would have brought TO PRESIDENT
Wilson more quickly and more heartily the
vigorous and active support of those who have
bcen opposed to him. But he says to US: i
do not want your support This is my ahair'
The People Were Ready
President Wilson's speech 20 Congress hiled
the United States with enthusiasm ana tne
world with admiration. His bitterest oPpo-
nents we're ready to forgive him all MS pre-
vious offences and incompetence. Some even
believed that at last he had had his eyes
onened TO the truth and TO the sacrihces
which the Allies have been making Tor tne
world. ourselves included. We were ready
every one of u.s. to rally to the support OF tne
President II is we who steadfastiy from
the beginning have insisted on preparedness
it is we who have continuously demanded
that America should 60 nobly to the rescue
as a consecrating privilege to suffer ana 10
Gle in the cause of humanity; it is we-and
our numbers are steadily growing, ready to
get intellectually behind him-whom VIII
son has rebuffed, not Roosevelt. 1t is our
services and our support he has refused.
President Wilson says that the RESPONSE
bility for the conduct of this war IS his. IN
a limited sense this is true. Would IL were
less true than it is! But even so, 1t Is
delegated responsibility. To whom is he re-
sponsible, The will Of the American people
ha, been emphatically expressed IN regard
TO this matter by large maJorities IN oo'h
houses of Congress, msJorltles Voted Hiler
the members had once turned it down and had
hoard from their constituents. But President
Wilson disregards the will Of the American
neople he throws aside the opportunity 10
make that will his free decision, and STAMPS
on technicalitics. Let 1t then be clearly rec
opnizcd that he has refused the support OF
united people, even though he is now IN gen.
eral carrying out the policy Of those whose
,upport he refuses. Let it be frankly stated
that we cannot but view him and MS acts
with resumed dstrust studying all he does
md does not do with careful discrimination,
and that we regret there is no way the people
of the United States can rid themselves OF
him until the four years are up. We must
simply do the best We can in spite OF nim'
The Presidents Record
This is the man who steadily and persist
emily opposed preparedness. This is the man
who thought the excellent English OF his
notes was ADEQUATE answer to the sinking
of the Lusitania. This is the man who sent
assurance through his Secretary OF State to
Austria that his warnings were not really
meant. but were for home consumption by the
American people. This is the man who called
efficient preparation unnecessary fanati-
cism,v and said the world did not know what
the Allies were fighting for. This is the man
who is primarily to blame that, as Secretary
Baker attests, we are now so slightly prepared
for war that it is Of no use to call men un-
der the draft until September /. With this
record this is the man who refuses the pa
triotic offer Of great leader and his 2SS,ooo
fighters, half Of them men with war expe-
ricnce, and on absurd pretexts refuses them
when they can start for France IN a Few
weeks, while he acknowledges through his
Secretary Of War that We cannot begin TO
train the men under the draft until 1t is too
late to render any service whatsoever at the
front this year.
Woodrow Wilson does not yet realize the
position in which he has placed America be-
fore the world. Because America hung back,
because our government could not imagine
what the Allies were fighting for, thousands
Of men have unnecessarily been slain; thou
sands Of homes have unnecessarily been de-
vastated; thousands Of girls have unneces-
cd much of this by going in on the side Of
the Allies promptly two years ago, il, indeed
we could not have brought the war to a victo-
rous end before this. Their sufferings are
on our heads; their blood is on our hands
We should 60 into this war humbly, solemn
~ and repentantly to atone so far as We can
for that which cannot be atoned, for which
we are responsible. So do the American
people wish to 60 into this war, and imme-
diately, not September l.
Americas Will
The present incident is in its permanent
value straw reminding US Of the real status
Of our affairs hampercd by the administration
of this man. A constitutional technicality
for four years transforms our democracy in
large measure into an autocracy. But the will
of the American people will find way This
is good test case between the people and
the President as any. Let Congress pass a
mandatory bill for the four volunteer divis-