The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-24
ENGLAND RECEIVES
 PRESIDENT SPEECH
 VERY UNF FAVORAbLY
Only Two Papers Comment in Friendly Manner-The Whole Nation Was
 Startled by News

London, January 23.-President WiI- sons address to the United States Sem ate has furnished the British govern ment and public with a surprise as electrifying as his mediatory note to the beIligerents. With the exception of the Manchester Guardian and the Daily News, which are the only papers in Great Britain that can he classified as pacificatOry in. policy, the press gives the Presidents utterances an un- friendly reception and engages in much speculation over the meanings which it is considered may be con ceaIed behind certain passages.
 Public men interviewed begin with courteous tributes to the Presidents S good intentions and end by supporting Great Britains measures. While the government cannot make any direct reply to a communication from the President to the United States Senate there is certain to be discussions in Parliament The usages of the House of Lords give even greater latitude for addresses on any topic any mem Der wishes to discuss than the Ameri- can Senate, while the question of the House of Commons furnishes an equal ly good opportunity for the advance ment of personal views
 THERE WILL BE DISCUSSION
 It is predicted by members of the commons that a discussion will be requested and speeches from mem bers of the present and the late cabi- net are expected. Possible action by the American Congress on committing to membership in the national peace league is awaited with greatest inter- est. Both David Lloyd George, in his historic speech as prime minister, and Viscount Grey, while minister for for eign affairs, stated strongly such a league would have no power to force it's decrees and would be useless.
 The effect of President Wilson's policy on the status of the Monroe doctrine IS discussed with equal in- terests Pub1icists, notably L. J. Maxse, editor of the National Review, suggested recently that Great Britain is entitled to a weighty voice in any developments in the American hem phshere because of the growing inn portance of Canada as one of the fore most nations of that hemisphere.
 The voice of the Silent Masses" on the war heard in the labor party con ference at Manchester today when it indorsed the action of thea labor mem- bers of Parliament who entered the war cabinet by a vote of more than 6 to l. Most of the small substratum of sentiment favoring a conciliatory policy toward the central empires is to be found in labor unionists and q small group of intellectuals.
 SITUATION DELICATE
 The Central News says that undoubt- edly the manifesto has developed a situation of extreme delicacy. It adds; "Whether or not it was expected by the allied diplomats in London it came as a bombshell to those outside the official circle and no amount of Presi- dent Wilson's plain English will con- vince the rank and file of the mem bers of Parliament or the man in the street that it has no direct bearing on the immediate future of the war It is not doing the President an in justice to say that whatever may have been the lofty motives of his speech the average British member of Parlia- men and his constituents regard it as an ill-timed interference in matters which can only concern the United States when the time comes for a set clement of the basis of international peace. The extreme opinion which in fairness must be stated is that the President is selling the allied cause to Germany The calmers view urges a signified protest to the President to keep out of the ring till the great round is over"
 pIrCCIAN COMMENT