The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-12-22
WILSON HOLDS
MASTER PLACE
AMONG ALLIES
President Stroke Of Crew,
Says Draper; Modera-
ton Now Policy.
BY ARTHUR 9. DRAPER.
Special Cable to washInEton Herald
and New York Tribune.


London, Dec. 2l.-Armageddon Is nc
longer a mere conflict between two
sets Of powers. II has now passed
into a new phase.
Gradually there is growing aunons
the belligerents a force more power
full than any government out Of which
will develop league Of nations. This
workers OF Europe who have suffered
severely are no less determined to
maintain the security OF their coun-
tries, but they want assurance that
their sacrifices are being made for
what AsQuith called "a clean piece"
and nothing else.
Statesmen Tired.
European statesmen are tired They
are more war weary even than the
people because their responsibility is
greater. They have few fresh IDEAS.
Wilson has become the stroke OF tho
allied crew. His job is 10 keep ths
shell even. TO steer a straight course
and to hold the stroke up 10 the highest
possible beat Only four oarsmen are
really rowing the shell. America,
England. France and Italy. The
other nations are practically dead
weight. The four oarsmen are con
tinually keeping better time. There E
Improvement in the rhythm. Note
worthy progress has been made Nthis
week, though il may not be readily
discernible.
Yesterdays speech by the premier
marks a big advance toward co-ordi-
nation. not simply in a military and
economic sense. but political as well.
Fundamentally, there is little differ
ence between the views OF the rival
schools OF thought in this country.
but that difference is still big enough
10 retard the war machine. wednes-
days debate in the house Of commons.
which brought out Balfour's declara-
ton that Britain never encouraged
the idea that a bit OF Germany should
be cut OF from the parent state and
made into some kind OF an independ-
ent republic or an independent gov
ernment 50 as to make a buffer state
between France and Germany" and
Lord Ceci's statement that Neither
he nor any other member Of the gov
ernment advocated an economic war
after the war" must be taken In con-
junction with the premier's utter
ances today about German colonies in
ConstantinopIe. Palestine. and Meso-
potamia.
Plan fer Moderatfoa-
Read together they show the whole
trend Of the government toward mod
Grafton. The dissatisfaction with the
vsguepcss OF British war aims IL not
confined 10 professional pscihsts, but
has extended to the LIBERAL labor
members, whose determination 10
carry the war on to victory II un-
! challenged in any quarter.
That the governments declarations
today and yesterday have helped
remove considerable obscurhy seems
certain and that means q big i'm
provement Bad weather means little
fighting and undoubtedly there will
be little military movements for some
weeks. but during that period Jhs
economic situation in Europe will
not improve. There will be nothing
to strengthen the morale of the pco-
PIE.
The allies are in better position 10
meet the winters hsrdships than are
the central powers. On the fourth
war Christmas there will be fasting
rather than feasting. There is no
mistaking the fact that the fourth
winter is bringing moderation in
every form