New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-01
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The speech delivered by President VIII
son in the Senate Chamber on the 22d inst
while addressed 10 the gentlemen OF the Sem
ate. was. by explicit statement, intended for
the world at large and the belligerent ma
tons in particular. As citizen OF one Oh
those nations, | have naturally read the
speech with much interest, but | ind some
parts Of it rather hard to understand. ms
doubtless is the result of dulness on my
part. and it would be an act of charity If
you or some of your correspondents would
explain the passages which appear obscure.
As a preliminary, it is necessary to recall
that Immediately after the outbreak OF the
war the President in his appeal to the Amerl-
can people. issued on the 18th OF August,
1914. took up an attitude of absolute and de-
tached neutrality a neutrality not only OF
action but OF thought. and he impressed upon
the people of the United States that as in
dividuals they should also conform. This at
titude, not only OF official but also Of per-
sonal and private neutrality, he has until
recently with steady consistency enjoined and
impressed upon the United States and its
people.
In the face of this attitude. deliberately
adopted and consistently maintained for
nearly two and half years, his speech on
the ODD inst is rather confusing. II is, per-
haps, not necessarily illogical that the Pres
ident, having maintained an attitude Of rigid
impartiality. even in thought an attitude Of
entire detachment from European affairs,
should now be addressing the belligerents
regarding the terms Of peace which will COM
mend themselves to him. even TO the extent
Of suggesting specific territorial changes.
But. unfortunately, mankind in general, and
participants in a desperate conflict In par
ticular, are not always governed by strict
logic, and action which TO the President may
seem quite natural will TO the belligerents
appear strange and even intrusive. They
will perhaps not entirely agree with him
when. speaking of the concert of power to
insure and guarantee future peace which he
takes for granted must follow the end Of the
present war he says: ut is inconceivable
that the people of the United States should
play no part in that great enterprise
He goes on TO say: They (the people OF
the United States cannot in honor withhold
the service to which they are about to be
challenged. They do not wish to withhold it.
But they owe it to themselves and the other
nations of the world TO state the conditions
under which they will feel free 20 render II.
| am here to attempt TO state those
conditions" Why is the President so sure
that the people Of the United States are
about to be challenged" to join in some
league to insure and guarantee peace cguar-
sntee" implies "enforce"), and from whom is
that challenge to come?
Having assumed the imminence Of the chs!-
lenge, he then proceeds 70 state the condi-
tions-the only conditons-on which that
challenge can be accepted. There is only
one sort of peace that the peoples plural
here. extending his pronouncement to the
other peoples of America, including Mexico
Of America could join in guaranteeing Inc
elements of that peace must be clements tha'