The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-01-31
BRITISH ELECTRIFIED
BY WILSON SPEECH
Careful Avoidance of Any Govern
mental or Authoritative Ex-
preston.

London, Jan. president VIII
sons address to the United States
senate has furnished the British
government and public with a sur
prise as electrifying as his media
tory note to the belligerents. With
the exception of The Manchester
Guardian and The Daily News,
which are the only papers in Great
Britain that can be classified as
pacifcatory in policy the press gives
the presidents utterances as un-
friendly reception and engages in
much speculation over the meanings
which it is considered, may be con-
cealed behind certain passages.
Public men interviews began with
courteous tributes to the presidents
good intentions and ended by sup
porting Great Britain's measures.
While the government cannot make
direct reply to a communication from
the president to the United States
senate, there is certain to be dis
cussions in parliament.
1t is already foreshadowed by
members of the house of commons
that a discussion will be insisted up
on when parliament reassembles
and speeches from members of the
present and the late cabinet are ex-
pected. Possible action by the
American congress on committing
the nation to membership in an in
ternational league for peace is
awaited with great interest. Both
David loyd-George in his historic
maiden speech as prime minister and
Viscount Grey, while minister for
foreign affairs, stated strongly that
membership in such a league with
out obligations to force its DEGREES
by arms would be useless.
Monroe Doctrines Status.
The effect of President Wilson's
policy on the status of the Monroe
Doctrine is discussed with equal in
terest. Several British publicists,
notably L. j. Maxse, editor of The
National Review, suggested recently
that Great Britain is entitled to a
weighty voice in any international
movements in the American hemis-
phere because of the growing impor-
tance of Canada as one of the fore
most nations of that hemisphere.
The voice of the "silent masses"
upon the war was>heard in the La
Dor party conference at Manchester
today when it endorsed the action
of the labor members of parliament
who entered the war cabinet by
vote of more than six to one. Most
of the small sub-stratum of senti-
ment favoring a conciliatory policy
toward the central empires is to be
found in labor unionists and a small
group of intellectuals.
The Central News says that un-
doubtedly the manifesto has devel-
oped a situation of extreme delicacy
1t adds:
"Whether or not it was expected
by the allied diplomats in London,
it came as bombshell to those out
side the official circle, and no amount
of President Wilson's plain English
will convince the rank and file of the
members of parliament or the man
in the street that it has no direct
bearing on the immediate facts of
the war.
"Ill-Timed Interference"
'1t is not doing the president an
injustice to say that whatever may
have been the lofty motives of his
speech, the average British member
of parliament and his constituents
regard it is ill-timed interference in
matters which can only concern the
United States when the time comes
for settlement of the basis of in
ternational peace. The extreme opin-
ion, which, in fairness, must be stat
ed, is that the president is selling
the allied cause to Germany. The
calmer view urges dignifed pro-
test to the president to keep out of
the ring till the ground is over"