The Alaska daily empire., 1917-05-18

(William Allen White in Emporia, Kans., Gazette)
 Great times make great men, The great man who has come out of these times is Woodrow Wilson. If democracy is but another for Christian brotherhood-mak long forward stride in human ity out of this world crisis more than to any one in dyidual in the world credit should fall to Woodrow Wilson.
 He has risen to big opportunity in a big way. He has used his ten talents with splendid stewardship.
 year ago. two years three years ago when the war cloud descended upon the world President Wilson seemed to be the one impossible man for war administration in the country. His talent for phrases, his nconclusive patience; his belief in spiritual forces. opposed to concrete physical facts; his dis position to settle things with rhetorc-all these things seemed to make him the schoomaster at the toura- ment grotesque, half pathetic and wearying to de-
 So America's hard.headed believers in action. and action and always still action i'll crises, chafed and fumed under the Wilson leadership. It seemed tragcally inadequate, madly quixotc.
 But the passing years have brought events to a place where that leadership seems to be the exact kind of leadership needed For under the Presidents leadership the whole world is ralying to the demo ing of the millennium. It does not mean that the world is suddenly to be made It does not mean that selfnerest is to be banished from affairs inter- national, national and personal.
 But it does mean that because of President Will sons last great utterance Germany, mankind is considering seriously whether not there is God in Israel whether or not things spiritual have not vital actual place in human affairs, whether not justice is to be neglected and God to be mocked in this earth The words of President Wilson have done for democracy for the spirit of justice in the world more than tons of ammunition and acres of fighting men.
 And because of the power of those words in the world beyond our borders, the Presidents leadership here has been strengthened The strength of that leadership is seen in the passage of the army bill through Congress with almost unanimous vote.
 Here was new thing Here a proposition unpopular and probably "unAmercan," read our traditions a year ago Here was plan to change the relation of every ablebodied man in America to this government to sink the individual into the SO cial unit. The plan to conscript men turns sharp but necessary corner to our American progress
 No other leader living could have put it through the American Congress quickly quietly little battered by politics. President Wilson has put 1t through Congress since Congress convened.
 He is indeed wonderful His talents are not strongly marked He is of small enthus- iasm and of no personal following. He has not a charming lovabe personality to draw men to him and hold them in his service with hoops of steel Yet he has by force of sheer intellect drawn America about him in the leadership of a world combat for democracy other American leader has drawn America about him for years
 This is the schOolnaster's day From him the world is learning some parliamentary principles of dem ocratc ideals translated into government.