The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-23
Near :Sediition.

welt IS opposed to the preside-2t's
Treatment OF the German peace pro-
pasa1 as he is to every other thing,
Wilson has done, especially his
efnation Of the Coloners offer to
ofgsanize and command an American
army on the obvious ground that this
beng a serious military enter
Prise. would need to be conducted by
competent soldiers. Il IS not Surpris-,
is,g, then, to find the Colonel denounc-
ing not only the method of the pres
iGsntsS dealing with the German pro
posal, but the fact Of his dealing with
It at all, and, besides, the fourteen
principles Of peace which constitute
the basis OF Mr.. Wilson's program
and that OF all the nations warring
against Germany. In addition, Col.
Roosevelt wants congress to declare
WaI on Turkey Immediately and re-
CARDS It as deeply discreditabfe" 20
that Bulgaria should have been
permitted to surrender without the
Ehxed States having had whack a:
her Fina1ly-that is, for the mo-
meut colonel exhorts us to re
member hereafter that we and our
aries should all act in concert and
with the fullest knowledge in ad-
rance OF any important step by any
OF as (for to do as the president has
cone in this case is much worse than
any of the things Of secret diplomacy
because it becomes dangerously neA
to being. treacherous dipiomaeS. y
That the. president has acted n COR
cert with and in the fullest knowl-
edge OF the nations associyfed with
TIE United States in the/war, that
he was in close commylMcation with
the governments of Gr2at Britain and
France and Italy duriAg the prepara-
tiioE Of his replies% the German
notes, that his agWers were approx
ed % advanes5and have been ap-
pfaUded si2ee&Hhey were made pubic
are mat1 of no interets TO tne ~.
.eoLons6 Br need they be cited against
&hey are nothing but facts ano
= LIE Colonel has never permitted hlm-
seH 10 sbe hampered by facts when
he set out on straffng excursion
Misrepresentation of the president
attitude was to have been expected
and is a perfectly normal Roosevef
nerformance A good deal Of latitude
IS perntssible in that sort Of thing
and 10 the colonel some Longitude
as well. Also in violence of express
sion the utterance is merely char
acteristic and not, therefore. sensa
sfiofsa1. Unless the colonel is to 81
completely muzzled he will have t'
. he allowed to speak the language o
uio3ence. And in ordinary times hi
eruptions amuse most people and de
light many, and should be as untram
rnelIed as vaudeville. But it may wei
t,e considered seriously whether, il
fsfe most critical period OF the wa
;Ii.o which we have now passed, evel
Yorner president should have tn
license to speak of the head OF tn
nafior, as conducting its affairs in
Z Z manner which becomes dangerousl
naar TO being treacherous diplomacy.
Thaf such language is fragrant vlo
laffon of the espionage act passed D
congress to prevent abuse OF tn
nresfaeut during the war is plal
enough. The question is whether II
adt1,or should not be brought to &C
Z to1nt for it as a lesser person woui
be. There ought to be some limit Sc
even to Colonel Roosevelt's verbs
assaults on the. president OF tn
United sttaes.-Charieston Post.