TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-09-04

America" Jan Hay publishes il
the London Times (weekly edi
ton, July ~ the following
highly interesting sketch o
President Wilson, as judge'
from a British standpoint:
The greatest influence Of al
in 4 American public life to-day
is the President, Woodrow vii
son. Mr.. Wilson has recently
taught the world a lesson, anc
that is to judge no man hastily
least of all the leader of a great
unwieldly, and heterogeneou:
democracy. We are just begin.
ming to realize some of the diff.
hculties with which President
Wilson has had to contend dur
ing the past three years.
Let us consider a few Of the
Presidents difficulties. In the
first place, Mr.. Wilson was
aware Of a circumstance which
was unreveaIed TO his critics,
namely, that he himself was pro-
Ally through and through. Then
why did he not proclaim the
fact? For the simple reason
that where a private individual
may offer an expression Of OPT
Mon when he likes and where
he likes, the head Of a State
cannot do so without making
the whole State officially re-
sponsible for the consequences
The consequences in this case
would certainly have meant the
breaking off Of diplomatic rela-
tons with Germany, and probab-
ly a declaration OF war. And this
brings US to the second thing
which we did not know-or at
least realize-and that was, that
the American people. were hope
lessly disunited upon the subject
Of participating in the war. It
is true that thousands were de-
handing that America should
step down into the arena and
vindicate her national honor.
On the other hand, thousands
were frankly pro-German and
anti-Rritish, and said SO.
But as already noted, and for
reasons already stated, the gen
eral attitude Of the American
people was one Of Indifference
Fundamentally the country was
pro-Ally, but with reservations.
For instance, there was a dis
tinct disinclination, natural in a
stoutly democratic people, to
embark upon q warlike enter
prise in the same galley with the
Tsar Of all the Russias. This
disinclination was strongly fost-
cred by the Jews, who form an
important element in American
public life and have no cause to
love Russia. Public opinion,
TOO, was warped by German pro-
paganda, skilfully conducted by
Bernstorff, and abetted to a
scandalous degree by the noror-
ious Hearst Press-probably the
most poisonous influence in
American public life to-day
and its so-called InternationaI
News Service. Consequently
persons who preferred to Absorb
their opinions readymade-anC
who can resist that temptation
altogether?-had already assim.
Hated some of the suggestion:
which were constantly press
ed upon them-for instance, thai
Great Britain, having jockeyet
Germany into war, was now
allowing France to do all thu
fighting that the German atroc.
tiles had been greatly exagger-
ated; and that both sides were
equally bad. And so forth.
In the face Of poison gas 0.
this kind, judicious and well-in
formed Americans could II
little-exeept grieve, and express
their sympathy with the caus,
Of right against wrong. AM
their sympathy took an intensell
practical form. A year ago tn,
number of societies existant il
America for purposes Of Allied
war relief had reached the no.
altogether despicable total 0
one hundred and ten. The ex
tent Of our Indebtedness t
America in this respect has no.
yet been fully realized or ack
nowledged by us. We are muci
too busy with the war. Blu
some day we shall all know. anC
we shall be grateful.