The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-02-08
Are You Behind President
Wilson With the Kind of
Patriotism He Needs NOW?


President Wilson does not want war.
Bear that in mind: President Wilson
does not want war.
You know that If you read his speech
20 the congress, breaking diplomatic re-
Iations with Germany--if you read it..
particularly. between its lines.
II was not our privilege TO be present
IN the senate to hear that address that
has made history--that has placed the
name of Woodrow Wilson beside those Of
washington and Lincoln, the former first
In peace; the latter last to want war.
But from reading that speech we could
zee President Wilson as plainly there in
the senate chamber as II we occupied
front seat.
We could see that he dragged himself
10 his place before the country's repre-
sentatives; we could see that he had
dragged himself TO the position duty had
forced upon him; we could see that he
dragged from himself the words that
brought his country TO the verge of war.
We could see the features drawn by
the pain in his heart.
He made US think of Washington and
Lincoln, those other sad presidents.
He made US feel that the last thing he
wants is war with Germany or any other
country.
There il no doubt in our mind that he
Is directing every move in Washington
over which he has control to averting
war or 20 putting it off as long as he pos
sibly can.
And then our eyes fall on some OF the
headlines that are being contributed 10
the situation by some Of our newspapers,
and the thought occurs to US that the
president is putting up the fight under a
heavy handicap.
The headlines give US TO understand
that IL is the personal opinions of these
newspaper publishers that We should
have been at war hours ago; at any rate
that there is not moment to lose.
The president handed Bernstorff his
passports and recalled Gerard. following
which. for the lingo newspapers. there
were hours Of nothing doing" and con-
sequent terrible suspense.
An American tar on British ship was
killed.
The lingo newspapers took heart--it
might prove THE overt act the president
made reference to as the occasion that
would compel him TO address congress
again.
The order went down the line of head
writers to unsheath their pencils.
Then the order went down the line for
them to put their pencils back in the!
xhcatfs
II was not the overt act
But there flashed in ray Of hope.
If the United States did not hurry up
and declare war, GERMANY would.
Count Bernstorff said along last May
that Germany would do that very thing
II ever there should come a diplomatic
break with the United States-told his
butler, or somebody. that Germany
would.
Great.
It made lingo headline for dull day.
That is the spirit of the lingo press
and uncurbed headwriters who are not
exactly what you would call neutral who
just cannot make their pro-this and pro-
thatism behave.
What we want to ask is:
is THIS THE KIND OF SPIRIT IN
THE PRESS THAT THE TIME CALLS
FOR?
II may be somewhat in keeping with
the forwarding of assurances of patri-
otism to the president that is being done,
despite the fact that the president may
wish the senders would practice more Of
the kind of patriotism that is needed for
the crisis.
This kind of patriotism is better exem-
plified. we believe, in the attitude of the
sclf-appointed committee in New York
that is paying for advertising in news
papers, imploring the people of the coun-
try to keep their heads
What this committee. made UP of we'll
A