The Washington herald., 1917-12-05
FRANCE ECHOES
US. war VIEWS
Holland on Clemenceau' $
Address as Related to
Lansdowne Letter.

LanSd0Wne Letter.
It was. inevitable that the surmise
should arise that the publication of q
communication by Lord Lansdowne,
in which he urges that craftsmanship
be exerted TO bring the war to an end.
was partly with view 10 influences
the inter-aIlied conference at Paris
and partly with the statement in mind
which President Wilson was thought
by Lord Lansdowne likely to make In
his annual message to Congress on
Monday.
The men OF large business capacity
who have given up their vocations SO
that they may be able to serve the
government, and presumably Col.
House, as well as members OF the
Cabinet, have never had any doubt
about the Presidents purpose when
he recommended that Congress de-
clare war against Germany. -.
The President expects the war
to be continued until peace is con-
Quered by victory. That is the concise
message that comes from Washing
ton The President has no further
illusions respecting the good faith or
military party.
He was deceived once too often. and
the President Is of that manner of
mind which. having given confidence,
does not withhold II unless he has rea-
son to believe that his confidence has
been betrayed. When that belief is
forced upon him, his confidence is
utterly and forever gone.
Firm In FriendshIps.
On the other hand, he holds to
his friendships with a tenacity
which is not excelled by that which
characterized General Grant, al
though revealed in a different way
from the one adopted by General
Grant.
Business leaders here say that
the President is convinced that
there can be no assurance of per-
manent peace until there has been
. crushing military victory over
Germany by the allies. For il there
were no other reason for holding to
those who have good reason to
know what his views are, that only
by complete victory over German
arms can the great body of the Ger
man people be brought to such full
understanding of Germanys rela-
tion TO the world that they will be
ready to accept peace propositions
which contain, so far as human
foresight can frame them, condi-
tions which will insure permanent
peace
The Great Issue.
1t has frequently been said, prob
ably not by the President, but by
some Of those who are near to him,
that this war resembles in its chief
issue the War between the States.
Then it was really q contest be-
tween two civilizations. President
Lincoln desired to preserve the
union because he believed that II the
union were broken into several
parts then inevitably the expert
ment of. a republican-democratic
form Of government would fail
President Wilson has stated in his
public addresses. and presumably in
his pTivates conversation. that only one
issue exists to be determined by this
war. He has voiced it in various
ways. The one most commonly ac-
cepted is his assertion that the war
must make the world safe for DEM
ocracy.
A complete military victory over
Germany, while it revealed to the
German people that their hitherto
abiding faith in the military autocracy
was futile. nevertheless would not
prevent the German people from
maintaining an autocratic form Of
government il they so desired But
it must be maintained in sympathy
with the guarantees for permanent
peace which would follow complete
military victory over Germany. Some
times il has been asked what are the
aims Of the allies. No one in author
ity in Washington. and none Of the
men Of great business ability who are
now yielding all their time and energy
to the government, has the slightest
doubt about the aim of President Will
son and the American people.
That aim is to secure a victory of
arms, which will as fully determine
tho issue as Appomattox determined
the issue for which the divided States
fought between 1851 and 1866.
France and United states.
Some are calling attention to the
remarkable speech made by Premier
Clemenceau at the opening Of the in
ter-allied conference in Paris on
Thursday Of last week. 1t seemed al
most as though Clemenoeau had been
informed or had fntuitfve knowledge
OF the plea which Lord L.andsdowne
was on the same day to put before
the English people in which he urged
that statesmanship be exerted to bring
the war to an end.
Had Clemenceau's speech been pre-
pared in Washington it probably would
have been worded, il not in the pre-
else terms used by Clemenceau, GER
tainly so as to convey the exact
thought which is contained in his
speech of less than 100 words. It GER
tatnly does reflect much that Presi-
dent Wilson has said and Is spoken Of
here as making 1t clear that
there Is excellent understanding
between France and the United
states respecting the purposes of
the war. Clemenceau SAYS that
We must win on the field Of bat
tie the r1ght to a peace that shall be
a true peace OF humanity.
1t has been pointed out that this Is
only another way Of saying what
President Wilson has said. No one
but the President and Col. House
knows all that passed between them
before Col. House departed as the
chief representative Of the United
States at the allied council. But
there is no doubt on the part OF busi-
ness men of finance who have so
greatly aided the government that
the commission which the President
gave to Col. House could be put into
as few words as Clemenceau used
when he stated that the allies must
win on the field Of battle the right to
a peace which shall be q true peace
of humanity.
This b the only diplomacy which