The Washington herald., 1917-02-25
Wilson Still Holds Reins
Of Peace, London Believes
England Thinks President Can Exert Greater In
f1uence While at Odds with Germany Than
When Two Nations Were on Good Terms.
BY JOHN L. BALDERsroN.

London, Feb. l-This moment when the
eyes Of the world are on Washington.
when the most momentousN decision In
American history IL being taken, seems
q timely one for an American correspond
ent who has spent most Of the years Of
the war In England and France to at
tempt to explain the attitude here toward
the United States a. possible oeliger-
emit, and toward the American part IN
the great settlement that must follow the
end Of the war.
For the past month have tried to
sound all shades OF opinion regarding
Wilson'S peace note and his speech to the
Senate; now that Germany has suddenly
thrown herself into the arms OF ner
JIngoes and decided to defy the world,
peace seems to recede into the INDEFINITE
distance, and today II II to Wilson the
commander-In-chief Of the American
army and navy, rather than to wilson.
the peacemaker, thai Europe looks Tor
action But II II pointed out on all sides
that America, as the avowed enemy OF
Germany, whether or not she sends troops
TO Europe, or takes an active part In
the fzhting, may be able to exert more
effective pressure for the peace which the
President has outlined as one which the
United States could guarantee than II
the pretense Of friendhness for Germany
were kept up.
The high idealism Of Wilson's policy,
his lofty and disinterested motives, We
have all along realized" said q high Brit
ish oficial today, but all that he said
and did seemed to US vitiated by the ne
cesstty under which he found himself
10 pretend that the German motives and
aims were the same as ours, and that
they could be realized by peace without
victory Now, II America takes her stand
openly on the right side, she can truly
serve humanity-hrst by helping TO put
down the enemy of civilization. then by
exerting all her efforts for an equitable
settlement which shall insure the peace
of the world. Americas mistake has been
that she has not realized the necessity OF
doing the first before 1t was even worth
while to talk about the second.
Entente Would Rejoice.
rupture between America and Ger
MANY will be regarded by the entente
with 10Y rather because Of the moral
condemnation involved by such step
than because OF any material aid In ngnt-
ing this war that America can oner. fnis
has been made clear to me many times
in the past two years. There IL even q
section Of opinion which has held from
the first that a neutral America Is worth
more to the entente than an America al
war with Germany. The argument as !
have heard It is usually somewhat as fol-
lows:
The United States without going to
war is sending US all the raw material
and the munitions that her ships. and
ours can carry. II she breaks with Ger
many, she may want to send troops. out
this will mean q terribly Increased strain
on shipping. At the same time an Amer
lean var with Germany Will involve an
Increased ruthlessness in the German SUD
marine war, and Wilson's notes have un-
doubtedly hitherto prevented the U-ooats
from proceeding to the last extremes and
SO have saved US and the neutrals con-
siderable amount of tonnage. Tho time
necessary to raise an American army for
foreign service would be so great that
American troops could not prove q de-
cisfye influence. We should probably OBJ
tain more financial help from America II
she were at war, but, on the other nano,
Il mar prove embarrassing to have ner
in the peace conference. so on the whole
the disadvantages outweigh the advan-
tages."
But this coldly material view OF the
situation would, am convinced. instantly
vanish IL the break with Germany once
came, and the outbreak Of hostilities
would be welcomed herew ith indescrio-
able enthusiasm. What would America
do II she were forced into war with Ger
many? As much difference Of opinion ex-
lists on this topic here as at home. but
from opinion gathered at the time OF the
Lusitania and Sussex crisis, as well as
during the past few days, can sunmar.
tze the views OF q number Of high naval
and military officers and OF other promi-
nent men
II War Almost Inevitable.
A diplomatic break. without war, Is
not regarded as possible. This question
has often been canvassed here, because
at the times Of previous outrages. as
well a. at present, oficiai Washington
has preferred to, talk consistently Of q
break in relations and to avoid the word
war, and there are precedents for such
a state of affairs America has been
without representation in Mexico ana
there has been no war; fifteen years ago
England and most of Europe peacefully
severed relations with Serbia because
of the murder OF the King and Queen
But It is contended that such situation
between America and Germany would
before long put the former in RIDICULOUS
and intolerable position
After a severance of relations took
place because of some outrage committed
by Germany. it is pointed out, another
outrage as bad or worse than the one
storn would be sure to follow. Then
war would be inevitable. for with rela-
tons broken OF protests would be i'm
possible, and for a country to send an
Ambassador home when a ship was
sunk and do nothing when the next ship
went down would be more humiliatlng
and Ineffective than to do nothing in the
first instance. The case has only to be
stated, II Is said here, for the absurdtty
of such a course to become manifest, and
consequently a break in relations between
Germany and America, not followed oy
war. Is almost inconceivable.
II America enters the war. what will
be her attitude toward her partners Of
the entente? This is a topic eagerly
discussed. Nobody supposes that the
United States will be willing to sign
the pact Of London agreeing not to make
a separate peace. and to enter the war
merely as a member Of a coalition. pledg-
ed like the others to fight on until the
war aims Of the allies have been attained.
This would be the most convenient solu-
ton Of the problem for the entente. but
Il 10 realized that It would not suit Presi-
dent Wilson's views on the situation, and
would violate the traditional American
desire to keep out Of European territorial
tanRies