The Washington herald., 1917-02-10
Drifting" /"

echoes from every quarter in Wash
ington beyond the rim of the Presi-
dents immediate circle, that his pres
ent German policy" is drifting and
dangerous.
There is no tincture of partisan
ship in the criticism. The nation is
in no mood to tolerate party narrow
ness. But there is a. vast upsurge OF
public feeling in the country that the
Presidents handling of the ship of
state lacks decisive clean-cut aim;
feeling of uneasiness that he has re-
ceded somewhat from the brave stand
of his address to the Senate, and that
Ito quote the New York World he
is trying ito create fools paradise,
though the German government will
not let us live in it."
There are reasons for uneasiness in
all truth. One is the growing convic-
ton that the President will have a
vicious tussle with Congress when
he asks it for a declaration of war
if, indeed, he is forced to ask for it.
Getting bolder as the days pass, GER
tain forces in Congress are preparing
to fight such action to the last ditch;
to go to the limit until the nation
arises in its wrath and restores con-
troll to the President. Pacihsm and
Prussianism made their bid in the
struggle over the McLemore resolu-
tion year ago; how nearly they sue
ceeded in overthrowing the White
House is matter of history. It
would be humiliating to treat the
world to another cheap spectacle of
division and alienism on the floor of
Congress, particularly in the present
crisis.
The administration is preparing to
meet this situation. We criticise its
plan on the ground that it is altogeth-
er evasive and opportunistic. The
plan (it is stated authoritstively) is
not to ask Congress for a declaration
of war, but "for a resolution asking
for authority to use the army and
navy to protect American lives on the
high seas" Such a program spells
timidity to the world 1t is too open
and naive limitation of scope in the
big problem that lies before us.
We say this believing-as we have
stated heretofore-that such limi-
tation in practice is inevitable; that
the United States will never 60 to
war to the extent of equipping army
divisions for European trenches un-
til the present status shows a radical
turn for the worse; that since we
enter the conflict as an injured by
stander and not as a major partici-
pant, we cannot be drawn into its
main vortex. But to confess such a
limitation, to put such hampering
restriction on our military and naval
forces in advance, will be a great
mistake for which we may pay dearly.
There are other reasons for un-
easiness. One is certain well-de-
fined churlishness of the administra-
ton toward American shipping inter
ests. Arming merchant ships is no
easy task when the government snap
pishly denies cooperation; when it
declines the smallest hint as to where
the guns and gunners are to be got
ten. This policy of negation has al
ready done vast amount of evil 1t
will do more unless the President
turns around the corner in the lane
promptly.
All of these reflections may be
changed in a trice as the result of
some move by the President, or by
some tragedy in the war zone which
will throw the drifters and the op-
portunists shivering and shrinking
into the discard In the future the
current week of anti-climax and ne
CATION will be something which the
average American will not like to talk
about