The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-12-08
PRESIDENT Wins
british PRESS
London Papers Approve Peace
! Based on the Exclusion of
Selfish Claims.
may Yet Save THE RUSSIANS
If Message Does Not Influence Ger
man Opinion, Only Resort Is to In
flct Such Military Defeat That
Rulers Will Be Convinced.

London, Dec. 6.-President Wilson's
message to congress has the fullest
possible prominence in the newspa-
pers, but it reached London too late
for much considered comment.
The Daily News receives warmly the
presidents declaration that peace
should be based on generosity and JUS
tice to the exclusion of selfish claims.
1t adds:
''It would be affectation to pretend
that this language echoes the declara-
lions of the European spokesman of
the alliance. 1t is the voice of states
man whose vision comprehends the
! world, while theirs comprehends only
half world.
Might Have Been Saved to Allies.
"If President Wilson could have
said earlier what he said yesterday,
and if in Great Britain, France and
Italy the responsible leaders had made
his language their own, Russia might
be today driving the enemies from her
borders. 1t may be too late to con-
vince Russia of the identity of aim
of herself and the allied democracies,
but it must not be too late for those
democracies to learn from their great
est representative how democracies
should comport themselves in war and
how they should attain peace.
"In the light of President Wilson'S
speech, q statement that will mean the
Ewlping off the slate Of much that
ahspasl "a u. ~ ssirslAon oss Y
Ii imperative, There is no kinship be-
tween the spirit of yesterdays speech |
ana tho spirit of Knockout blows or
economic warfare or after the war
boycotts."
Mo Half-Tones in Address.
The Times says there are no half
tones in the presidents address, add
ing:
"There are no ambiguous phrases on
which militarists may feed the illu-
sions of their dupes, no hints of COM
promise and no suggestion of faltering
or doubt to raise the spirits of the
pacific With this straightfor-
ward and logical statement of Amer
icas war aims the last hope of the
pacilists must founder"
The Times reiterates that formerly
1t expressed dissent with President
Wilson's distinctions between the Ger
man people and their ruler and says it
can no more distinguish between them
than the president can any longer dis
tinguish between Germany and Aus
tria-Hungary believing them willing
accomplices of their ruler.
The editorial OF the Daily Chronicle
is mainly paraphrase of the speech
in a sympathetic tone and without a
definite expression Of opinion.
Doubts Effect on Germans.
whether this restatement," says the
Daily Graphic, $50 lofty in spirit, so
forward looking in, effect, will have
any influence on German opinion is
doubtful. Then the only resort Is to
inflict such military defeat upon Ger
many as to convince the Germans of
the infamousness of their rulers. In
this connection it is an excellent omen
that the conference in Paris reached
such a complete unanimity. America
was represented at that conference and
there follows that the war aims of the
allies no longer can be described in
any sense as imperialistic."
None of the editorials dwells espe-
ciafly on the request for declaration
Of war against Austria-Hungary, but
brief references imply that 1t is regard
ed as logical and desirable.