New-York tribune., 1918-08-08
The Power of
the President
To the Editor of The Tribune.

~ tHc LOItOI VI ne lIlDUne.
ANlR: With the exception of the Ko..-
no man wields more power to-a.r
than President Wilson The srn
port of the United States is of such crnc;.,
Importance to the Allies that President
Wilson-who determines our policies and
at the same time commands our armies-
is able frequently to control the maio,
policies of the Allies as we'll; and one .,
more of those policies may at any time bo
of such gravity that they will give the
Allies victory or defeat. The President IN.
tends, of course, to give them the formc,
but an error of judgment might conceiyablv
produce the latter.
Many foreign statesmen and a numhe,
of Americans have said in one way or an.
other than unless we are able to save Rrs.
sia from German control and organization
we shall lose the war; and it was evidently
with this idea firmly fixed in their minds
that the Allied governments have been i'm.
Fortunate in bringing pressure to bear on
President Wilson for many months in an
effort to persuade him to sanction and an.
prove of action in Siberia
1t is true that the Allies have ALWAYS hean
free to act on their own account without
even consulting US, but it would be
wretched diplomacy on their part to %
counter to the wishes of the man who holds
their fate, to all intents, in his hands
And, furthermore, the only effective forces
the Allies have at their disposal for i'm
mediate and effective action in Russia are
the Japanese, who will not act without our
approval. because Of the attitude of hos
tility which we have taken up against their
country in recent years Early in the
spring the Japanese informed the Allies
that they were willing to send an army into
Russia, but on learning that Presid ident Will
son would not approve of their doing 50
they withheld their forces fearing to create
in this country deeper distrust of their
motives.
President Wilson has therefore been the
means, in way, of depriving the Allies of
force of two or more million men. some
of whom could now be in Siberia support
ing the Czecho- -Slovaks and other pro-Allv
torces. Instead of which we are going TO
have a joint military police force to follow
behind the totally inadequate Czecho-S Slovak
detachment.
1t is an unfortunate thing that this conn
try, though have long been the fore
most advocates of an international league
is not yet in alliance or even in full coun-
Gil with the Entente Powers Had we put
ourselves in their council and confidence
this terrible mistake could not have oc
Cured The worst that could have hap
pened is that the Allies would not have re-
quested Japan to take action.
An international council for the deter
mlnatlon of policies and strategy is as vital
to the winning of the war as military CO.
operation. The decision of the Allied War
Council, the highest board of strategy on
the side OF the nations fighting Germany.
mas oeen all but nullifed by the counter
decision of President Wilson.
Though we are probably at the eravest
period of crisis the world has ever lno.n
we have not in Washington even a council
OF able Americans informed and experienced
IN international matters to make decisions
oi PoHcy Tor this country. Our policies
are those Of one man, who takes into his
council those whom he chooses to consult
ana acts upon their advice or does not do
So as he sees fit. No man, no matter what
ms attalnments may be, is fitted to WELD
such great authority
Inc President should do one Of two
thlngs without further delay Either sum
mon council of state to remain in CON
slant session in Washington, or he should
put this country into alliance with the En-
'ente Powers. Either action would relieve
MN of much authority and also responsi-
nlllty; but he ought to be willing to do
TINS in order to the interests Of this
country and the Allies with greater as
surance of safety.
FREDERICK MOORE.
harvard Club, New York, Aug 7, 1918.