The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-01-04
WILSON'S NOTE
IMMORAL '--T.R.
Col. Roosevelt Attacks the
Presidents Message to
Warning Powers.
PUTS L. $. IN FALSE LIGHT
Praises Republican Demand
for Investigation of Wall
Street Leak.

Col. Roosevelt dictated last evening a
statement attacking President Wilson's
note to the bellgerent nations and de-
scribing the prophetic insight which
"conscienceless gamblers Of Wall Street
had as 10 the handling Of our foreign
affairs.
1t was the Colonels first utterance on
the acts of the national Administration
since election and It was clear that be-
fore making any statement the Colonel
had studied the situation carefully. He
praised the speech of Senator Lodge In
the Senate yesterday in regard to the
Wilson note and the work OF representa-
tive Gardner in calling for an investiga-
ton of the leak to Wall Street concern
ing the sending of the note.
Mr. Gardner, speaking in the House
Yesterday, asserted positively that there
had been leak" and that he wouid
favor calling the President. his stenos-
raphers and others who might nave
been able to furnish advance infofma-
ton regarding the forthcoming messase'
small Investors Ruined.
| effect of the supposed action Tor peace
was 10 ruin an immense number OF
| small investors who were not fore
! warned" and to benefit "A few persons
/ who If they did not know the eVehts
nrior to their publication certainly
! showed prophetic insight into lne
handling of our foreign anairs. lie
! said that somebody had advance intor-
nation il Wall street, and he called Tor
I hn
I tory manifestoes about our foreigii
policv and the manipulation Of the stock
market ,.,s. WI
SONS note said IL was untlmely, irri-
tating and dangerous that 1t was I'M
moral and misleading, placing the coun.
try in a false light. He showed tha'
while the note said that the NATIONS
all insisted they were lighting Tor inc
! same thing, 1t made no Fete'e"ee ~
the aims OF Belgium.
LAUGHS Mt wilson's Plan.
r,oI Roosevelt laughed at the Presi'
dents plan to guarantee the protectioi
OF the rights OF small nations ana tS
guarantee the peace of the world. H'
laughed at the spectacle OF the Ires'
dent trying by the aid OF Messrs. BAKER
and Daniels to guarantee the peace o.
any nation" saying 1t was AS comm
as ANYTHING ever written by Arteinu
Ward" He referred to threats made D!
tho president that were to be inter
nro,ad "in a strictly pickwickian sense.
Tho Colonel set the date for the inter
!. Wow with the reporters at 3 o'clock, a
the Hotel Langdon. He and Mrs. Roose
yalt had entertained friends there. Th'
colonel was in prime form. and th'
dictatinn was little bit OF postIprandia
exercise that he seemed 10 enjoy I'M
mensely.
= lie walked mp and down the reception
} room as he talked. Clutching In one han'
a n,in,ed statement issued by Davi'
I Jayne Hill on the peace note. AM
= .esticulating emphatically with eac
= sentence. His eyes sparkled and thos
teeth showed as II he was biting oi
every sentence TO make II cut NOR
deeply.
Lodges Great service.
I; senator Lodge and Congressma
e Gardner" said the Colonel with clenche
/. fist upraisej, have rendered grea
d public service and have made all goo
= citizens Of this country their debtors.
"The defenders OF the Adm!nistratio
i are still actively discussing whether IN
d Presidents recent manifesto was peaC
j. note or a war note. the Presidents ow
Il Secretary of state having interpreted
In in two precisely opposite directions VIII
l. in six hours To he sure, this represent
i n rather longer interval than usual D'
p. tween the changes OF mind OF the AZ
n min!stration, but in tho present instanf
n there seems to have been more desle
lie than usual In the change of mind. IL
ID while neither the dream nor the two II
ie terpretations thereof had the slighte
t effect in securing peace In Europe, the
In had an extraordinary effect on the stoc
e market in New York.
ITO Judge from what l read In u
papers the net effect ana only net eHe
OF this supposed action for peace W;
l. to ruin an immense number OF sma
70 investors who were not forewarned al
W for the benefit OF very Few persol
a' who IL they did not know OF the
=. events prior to their publication for Il
IL Information Of the public then certain
III showed that on this occasion they we
inspired by prophetic insight concer
Us ing the handling of our foreign affair
IS, Well to Remember Facts.
M "As regards Mr.. Gardner's remarks
~ said the Colonel. "it IL well 10 rememb
,t that the facts are a matter OF comm
to notorlety,
nd publication of the note, tho pub
al cation OF the flrSt Interpretation Dy
Secretary of State and the publicati
a. Of the second Interpretation contradi
is ing the first. could not fail TO produ
rs upon the stock market he eXatt ell
H. which hey pctually did.
ne statements published in .he press
is. what occurred In the stock market ma
no IL morally certain that somehow or otl
10 somebody had advance information.
he is utterly useless for any committee
.ye deny tho facts thus apparent on In
OH face. but the committee can rehdcr
great public service If they follow J
C;nrdnors lead and take steps which v
prevent the future hitching up of cont
dictory manfestocs about our fore
act policy with the manipulation Of
LOT stock market
ate
md Fop of Obscurity.
mn, when the Presidents policy on VI
ras matters is both so suddenly announ
hIn and so wrapped In fog Of obscurlty I
or. his own Secretary OF State interprets
an in two different ways within six no,
ven the only people who can possibly be
,m- At are the biggest and most conscien
II less stock gamblers. and this fact mi
hat az well be understood.
in "As regards Senator Lodges spec
of All persons interested in the present n
let handling of our foreign affairs would
uy we'll TO read the comments Of the IIor
able David j. Hill on the Preside
circular note--and When It is spoken
Idv, Continued on Fourth Page.