The Washington herald., 1917-02-28
New York Sun.

One. thing is correctly stated by Mr..
Wilson in this singularly mystical and
metaphysical document. The authority
and power of Congress will be behind
him in whatever 1t may become neces-
sary for him to do. He may be sure
of that. Congress will be behind him
whenever he moves for the assertion
of the nations rights and the main
tenance of the honor of the nag. But
in order that Congress and the nation
may be behind him, 1t is necessary
that he shall move forward. not back
ward, and that Congress and the peo-
pie shall know that he intends to move
and how.
New York Times.
The President is right, the time and
occasion for action have come. We
| must defend our people and our seamen
in the exercise of their rights or make
| cowardly surrender to the power that
has forbidden US to exercise them. AL
partisanship, all pettiness, all thought OF
any other interest than that of the ma
ton, now so seriously threatened, must
be laid aside and the authority he asks
| for conferred upon the President
The state of armed neutrality which
We are about to enter is not a state of
war. We are merely going to provide
our merchantmen with the menas to de-
| fend themselves. If war comes 1t will
not be by our act; 1t will be because we
are attacked.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
Under the caption, THE President Is
Not Definite" the Inquirer says:
The President is too indefinite. But
why?
In one sentence he tells us that No
one doubts what 1t is our duty to do. We
must defend our commerce and the lives
of our people in the midst of the present
irving circumstances" but he qualities
this with an in-"If occasion should
arise"
In another paragraph he says: There
may be no recourse but to armed neu-
trality. which We shall know how to
maintain and for which there is abundant
American precedent" But he Immediate
ly adds: 1T is devoutly to be hoped that
1t will not be necessary to put armed
forces anywhere into action"
What does he mean by that? That he
is not yet ready to arm merchant vessels
gunners? Apparently that Is precisely
what he does mean.
Boston Post.
Whether the sinking of the great
Cunard liner Laconia, with American
passengers aboard. shall prove to be an
act of clear hostility to the United States,
such an act as was warned against by
our government at the time of breaking
diplomatic relations with Germany, is
not at this writing made certain.
To be such an act. the steamship must
have been hit by a torpedo from a Ger
man submarine fired without warning
with resulting loss OF an American life
or American lives. These elements have
not at present been shown to exist
Therefore all good and sensible Americans
should withhold their Judgment until
every last detail has been cleared up.
Baltimore American.
The American people have ever stood
behind their Presidents in the hour of the
! nations peril and they do so today. Firm
In the consciousness of integrity, secure
| in the verdict of history, complacent In
| the presence OF peril, they look with clea r
| vision into the vista, opened by the ad-
| dress OF Mr.. Wilson.
Richmond Times-Dispateh.
II Mr.. Wilson's patience at times has
chafed and Inundated some of our citl-
| zens, it has served in this crisis to as
sure him the loyal support Of all of our
citizens. There will be no falterng now
With drumbeat and with heartbeat Amer
lea marches to support those principles
| the President has proclaimed, which are
the foundation of American nationality,
| the inspiration of American freedom and
the justification OF American faith.
May Increase Care to Avoid Overt
Act.
tPittsburgh Dispateh)
The declaration of armed neutrality bv
the President need not lead to war 1t