New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-22
The Unsophisticated President
Whose Birth We Celebrate

Whose Birth we NcicDio'S
George Washington was blunt soldier
and downright statesman. He lacked So
nbistication. lie was not rhetoriclan OF
a logothete He did not try to solve the
problems of his time through erudlte eio-
ouence and watchful waiting
When Washington was President ne
saw the clouds gather for violent as
turbance in Europe. He knew that II
Europe plunged into protracted war inc
limited States could not remain unaffected
Our oversee commerce exposed US 10
European aggression then, as it does now,
and II was clear to Washington's mind
that we could hardly avoid being drawn
into collision with the European bellg-
erents. once they found it to their interest
to abridge or deny American maritime
rights.
Washington watched France defending
herself successfully against European
alliance and then, dazzled by her success
setting out toward the subjugation OF
the rest of Europe. He was keen TO
loen the United States out of Europes
ouarrels. He strongly advised policy OF
non-entanglement. But he realized that
so long as we sent our merchant shlpS
abroad it was within Europe's power TO
draw us into her struggle. Beng a
severely practical and unsophlstlcated
statesman. he therefore warned the couh-
trv to prepare in time to defend itself
He did not say to Congress:
We shall not alter our attitude toward
- toward military preparedness because
some amongst US are nervous and excited
We shall not turn America into
military eamp More than this the
creation Of volunteer training camps ano
the enlargement of the Nauonal 1uarul
pronosed at this time, permit me 10 say
would mean merely that we had lost oui
self-possession, that we had been thrown
off our balance by war with whleh we
have nothing TO do, whose causes cannot
- us whose very existence affords US
onnortunities of friendship and disinter-
SOD service which should make US
ashamed of any thought of hostility or
fearful preparation for trouble
Washington never wrote anything like
that. He was incapable of writing 1t. In
December. 1893, five years before our col
ision with France, when difficulties II
connection with the treatment OF Amerl'
can vessels were just beginning, he sent
this warning to Congress-
cannot recommend to your notice
measures for the fulflment of our duties
to the rest of the world without again
pressing upon you the necessity OF plac'
ING ourselves in a condition Of complete
hQu
fulflment of their duties toward us. The
limited States ought not to indulge a per-
suasion that, contrary 10 the order OF
human events, they will forever keep at
a distance those painful appeals to arms
with which the history Of every other ma
tim abounds. There is rank due TO the
United States among nations which Will
be withheld, If not absolutely lost, by the
reputation of weakness. If we desire 70
avoid insult we must be able TO repel It;
If We desire to secure peace, it must be
known that we are at all times READY Tor
war.
And in his first annual message to Con
gress he had said: "To be prepared for
war is one Of the most effectual means of
preserving peace"
We have not followed Washington's adj
vice. His own generation did not follow
it. They were sophisticated, too. They
also thought that words were a sufficient
substitute for action. SO when the trouble
with France came the United States was
wretchedly unprepared. 1t was equally
unprepared when Congress declared war
on Great Britain in 1912. We are miser-
ably unprepared to-day, although we have
rad the threat of war before our eyes for
more than two years.
But in our case the blame cannot be put
on a Congress which disregarded the
solemn warnings of a far-seeing Execu-
tive. The blame lies with the Executive
even more than it does with Congress
Sophistication in the White House has
held back military preparation and is still
holding it back.
Therefore Washington's birthday takes
on new significance in this time Of crisis
II only his clear, practical, non-sophisti-
Gated spirit had guided us in the twenty
one months Of listlessness and inactior
which have elapsed since the Lusitania
was sunk!