The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-01-23
London Editors Look at
Speech as Academic
Exposition.
NO QUESTION OF
WILSON'S GOOD FAITH
"POntifical Statement of
Future Morality" Says
the "Mail."
GERMANY'S HONESTY
STIRS SUSPICION
Could Not EnterWOrld Con-
cert" "Chr0nicle";; but
"Times' Has Praise.

LONDON. Jan. 23 fTuesday The
morning papers all comment on Presi-
dent Wilson'S statement to the Senate.
The Daily NAL says:
President Wilson's address Is largely
an abstract pontihcal statement Of fu-
ture international morality. On the
practical question of how It Il 10 be APP
piled to the situation as IL tAands to-
day there Is only one sentence>-the de-
mand for free autonomous Poland.
For any expression OF sympathy with
those who are shedding their blood ,for
freedom, we search the speech In vain.
ITO the members of tho Senate no
doubt the speech must have sounded like
a huma ne utterance. But We. who can
only read the Presidents cold words.
are left to wonder whether he spoke as
the head Of an American university or
as the Chief Magistrate Of a flesh and
blood republic. Germany has declared
that she regards treaties as scraps or
paper. 1t would have been interesting
TO learn from the President how she Is
to be induced to keep any treaties OF
peace IL she is not defeated. And when
he speaks Of a peace without victory
we can only envy him his remoteness
from the reality OF war"
Referring to the new Monroe Doctrine
of equal rights" the Maj says:
, The old Monroe Doctrine, as Capt.
Mahan and Homer Lea have pointed out.
was maintained by the aid of the British
navy. Is there TO be anything so brutal
behind the new version?
I'VE have got to carry on Ours is
a humble duty to prevent the German
armies from overrunning us, France,
Italy and Russia and to drive them out
of Belgium, Rumania, Serbia, Montene-
gro and other countries where they have
no business whatever to be. That is our
Job, and we are going on with 1t as de-
termined to see it through as was Abra-
| ham Lincoln"
America's Idea of Peace Terms.
President Wilson's position. says the
| Chronicle, is defined with nicely, he not
| attempting to dictate but to intimate,
what sort Of peace terms would be neces-
sary to obtain Americas concurrence in
a worldwide league OF nations. Urging
the necessity Of good faith as an IN
gredient of the Presidents project, the
paper continues:
"If all parties were willing to work
for a world concert honestly 1t would
have very different effect from that
| which might be given II II ono OF the
parties entered II in bad faith. Sup
pose, according to the Wilson formula
| there Is to be no victory: Then the
Germany which will enter the confer
ence will be the present Germany. under
her present statesman who made the
war.
| Against such mower. unpunlshed and
impertinent, the President suggests that
the Allies should forego many means OF
self-protection. Would they be ade'
uuately compensated for this on the bal
ance by the promised protection Of the
United States? The freedom OF the
seas, for instance, is not phrase any
Engl!shman will gladly hear in this
connection II it means that the seas
are to be free in peace time We al
agree.
Seems Too Dear n Price.
But II It means that In the event o.
peace breaking down the land power:
are to be free to use their militar!
weapons while we are not to be free Il
use our naval one (and that is wlIa
American diplomacy has meant by 1t II
the past), then We should have to con
slider whether even the assurance O
American protection would not be pur
chased too dearly at such price.
I'VE suggest that President Wilson |!
throughout too much preoccupied will
hopes Of ending the war on terms with
out bitterness. Let him not deceive him
self-such terms are impossible elthe
way The atrocities with which tn
Central Powers have embittered the con
fiict destroyed their possibility in ad
vance No outsider can alter that fac
| IN, t.lIIpu ,,s that there ia not hing to n
bitter about.
"On the whole we are most likely T.
reach a new stability II we go on I'll
right has been unequivocally vindicated.
The Times thinks 1t is too soon yet t
form n considered judgment of Presi
dent Wilson's speech, but 1t neverthe
less receives Certain broad impression
that can hardly he mistaken" Upo
these Impressions it states its views.
sees in the speech n fuller and NOR
forcible illustration than President VII
son has previously uttered OF "thc h!s
and daring character OF his pacifs
ideals, together with the prudence an
caution Of his policy" and continues:
His project Is nothing less ambi
tIous, less splendid than the establish
ment of perpetual and universal reig
of peace"
victory Peace Essential.
Coming to the Presidents reference
to tho peace which Ii to end the presen
war the paper says:
at Ia not necessary to follow tn
President in his eloquent description ,
the evils of a victory peace. 1t
Comtsnusd on Second Pogo