The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-03-05
INSISTS ON WAR
NOT BENIGN VAIN
Wilson Most UnCompromising
Person in World on Sub
jeCt of Just Peace.
CRITICISM IS INEVITABLE
From Element Which Fears
Public Opinion-Much
Progress Made.
CRITICISM is INEVITABLE
(By David Lawrence.)

Copyright. 1918, by New York Even
ing Post Company
(By Telegraph to The Chattanooga
News.)
Washington, March. 5.-President
Wilson isn't interested in patch
work peace speeches such as James
NJ. Beck and Charles E. Hughes
have made lately, sounding a note Of
alarm against what they term Presi.
dent Wilson's implications Of ''pre-
mature peace" calculated by friends
of tho president here to do no more
harm than an alleged vaeueness of
phrase with which Mr.. Wilson has
seen fit to discuss the terms on which
the war had to be settled. The presi-
dent will not mako peace any sooner
than the American public opinion will
want it made.
He will not forget the sacrifices
that have been made any more than
he will ignore the causes Of this war.
which must forever be removed, that
there may be no recurrence of the
catastrophe. But it was inevitable
that criticism should come; that both
Mr.. Beck and Mr.. Hughes should
voice an apprehension which took
form when Mr.. Wilson'S last address
was made. There has always been
an element in this country which
fears the people and public opinion
SO much that merely to discuss peace
is regarded by them as certain
means OF bringing about only the
German kind Of peace.
Insofar as those elements do not
trust American people to discriminate
between the right and wrong kind of
peace, they are misunderstanding and
fearing that President Wilson will be
so anxious to make peace that he
get, but those men don't know Wood
row Wilson.
They Doubt His Word
They doubt his word. They never
accepted him on domestic politics.
They intermittently approve his for
eign policy but always, with reserva-
ton, doubt of Mr.. Wilson's SINGER
ity as those features are read from ad-
minstration quarters, they are con-
strued as nothing more than the
Questioning of the good faith OF
President Wilson and in preaching a
lack of faith in Mr.. Wilson, at a time
when he is dealing with foreign ques-
tions on a basis of information. which
cannot always be available to the
public q serious division OF opinion
can be bred of which Germany can
get more comfort and advantage that !
of our alleged injuly to American in
ierest by the supposed tendency of the /
American people to relax war prep |
aration when peace is discussed. The !
president, it must be thoroughly un- |
derstood, may talk generalities about !
justice and the rights Of small ma /
tions in the establishment Of peace, !
but that does not mean that in spe- (
cfic application he is going to 4
be untrue to his faith. Men who talk ,
with the president from time 10 time
come away with a distinct impression
that about the most uncompromising
person in the world on the subject OF |
a Just peace is the chief executive
of the United States. Nor do the al I
lies have any fear OF what Mr. Will (
son is prospecting, though II must be
admitted certain reactionaries in all
the entente countries have been dis
mayed, not only by the apparent af-
hliation between the British labor
party and President Wilson, but by
the deliberation OF Mr. Wilson's ex-
pressions, which were of a new world
order. based not upon a partnership
but a partnership of
peoples.