Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-04
David Jayse Hill ON
Wilson'S War Note


ligerents, but upon our own countrymen as well;
II denies that the president IS proposing peace
he Is not even oHering mediatioh, aitnoush nc
expresses his readiness to serve as mediator. ~
IS not, therefore, peace note What tnen IS II
INTENDED to be- II the president is not interier-
ing for the purpose OF either proposing or me-
dating peace, what was ms OBJECT IN writing the
note!
his motive IN asking the oehigerents What
they are hghtng about, as stated by himself is
lest the situation OF neutral nations, now ex-
ceedngly hard to endure, be rendered altogether
intolerable and the secretary OF state speaking
more frankly, in his spontaneous explanation OF
the meaning OF the note, which he had signed ana
presumably understood declared that as the
United States was itseit verging on wal II de-
sired to know Just where the various oeihgerents
stood
Here at least is an ineligible Interpretation OF
the real meaning OF the note borne out by the
note itself. IT did not propose peace, but wished
each side is hghting tor, in order that 1t might
shape Its own future policy.
,ne pu'Ss .n~' .nis unpeu .ne p'ooauy VI ~; ~.
Snteu o'atss oSsons n,sos.u ;" W.. ma WIS,
ny la SIPIetauon, 'noush aunat'euy !useu, was
~nuwn, anu s WaL Ioss sas nj, pd..Io.s 90
= peace ho'e, WHICH nau cs'eso'ea ueeid'eu
'ha' wa not
..:
~ 4 peace hote tne aoeun'ehs ~ question
Wouia nave oeen singma.y OUT Oh piaee. ~ q
hote ioi peace wsre camea ioi, y ~ou'a r natuians
nave acGompahlea tne t[ahsmlss'on 9i He'"iany
Proposal IN inc lorm OF nope OF aesas. ms H.
nowever, was hot gone ms nole ami ,h III .ne
,ignt OF tne Ohnea States 10 SNOW "ners , .ne oei
iseIehts stana, OH .he srogna .nat ~ in.eies.s
nave been most seriously aneeted by the war ana
WHOSE eoneeIn .oa 10 esy % a. 49, o -,
OF manhest necessity 70 uetsfhi'he now oest ~
safeguard those interests inc wal - 10 eoii-
thue ihe !ote uoes np' VI se poass' .ot *. "'o.
70 Know tne in,entiohs ol inc powe's =; ~? w.
10 cohtlnus Wh'sh snows Clearly .ilat !, 10 .he
PURPOSE OF tne ohned ota'es 10 ieeomsluer .ne
question OF neutranty ana determine now pes.
to safeguard its interests which might Dc pest
served oy parneipatng n tne war.
~ tr,,th .hnu+ ~. rsa ,e,n;ns &c th;s note
svsn e i al hasten tumble in Security values
sxnlan.t;on NJ the nnte All ,h.t he ss;d was to
~ mind 81 snvone .ccrstomed N ;nternret dnlo.
80 doo,,ran. i, ~ tSt ~ .h. nnt. tsef md
nns. d;sesrnsd !, i ;rr,oss;hie 10 exns;r i awav
w. .ros..0'e
II it was designed merely to promote an early
conclusion o. peace, inc nole was untiney, ili-
tatng ana dangerous. IL was unthneiy because
the herman proposal was. aiready unaer consia-
eraton by the entente aines ana eouo no. ia'l 70
iead eventually 10 statement OF wnat inc oe'il-
Rerents demanded OF were reaiiy nght,hg 1or' II
was niitahng because u aeClaiea tnat mus Ia
both sides seemed 10 DC nghting iof tne same
thingi which It NOT only paipaeiy lalse, out puts
both oeiligerents IN the light OF hghting mean
ingiess war, or else imphes that N saying sup
stantiaily inc same thing one OF lhe o'her sac
was NOT teiing me truth. rinaliy, tne hote; II
intendeo as move Ior peace was dangerous, PC
cause it foreshadoWed the end OF American neu-
trality and possible partleipa!Ion IN the war to
safeguard tine interests OF tne onitea STATES tne
war IS 10 conthae mus leaving II open 10 eitner
side 10 WIN tne oniteo otales as an any by IT'S
attitude toward nose interests IN us repy. Ana
n,d 81 tSon mabs 81 mus nus
Deen ootained, what would pc tnougnt OF the
honor OF the United States II turned OUT mat
| It was stu neutral, wnen tnefe were GROUNDS Ior
approving one or the otner OF tne oeihgelehts!
1t would be futile to pretend, even ii the Ian
guage of the note were more ambiguous than it
IS, that Its tone IS not tnat OF interference IN
the belligerents render account to INN OF why
they are hghting, on the ground that the interests
OF the onted states nave oeen most seriously az
fected by the action. Ian ne theh mtene, II the
war continues, passiveiy 10 permit these interests
70 DC seriously aHecteo' Does NOT the demand
imply that ne VIII take some action 70 safeguard
these interestss Does y no, irnPry tnat tne con-
tinuance OF american neutranty depends upon tne
replies ne receivess II nor, why does ne call Tor
these statements! oniess me note is 10 De re-
garded as an inconsequenuai performance the
meaning OF the note is that II peace IS NOT MADE
and the war continues 10 aHeet american inter-
ests, there VIII De change IN american pohcy.
But perhaps the most serious feature OF TINS
| epistoiary adventure IRON inc point OF view OF
american interests is tne statement tnat the
United States is READY ana eager 10 guarantee the
peace OF the world;
This Is complete reversal OF the time-hon-
| ored policy OF the United states based upon ITS