Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-15

Leninists as wild and irresponsible,
In effect he said that Russia, in Civ.
ing herself into the hands of the boil
sheviki, was heading straight for
ruin, and, in effect, he added that as
Russia chose to do this with her
eyes open it was Russia's funeral, not
his.
Almost INN ediately President VIII
son delivered an address before con.
gress in which he sympathized with
Russia and paid the most glowing
compliments to the spirit of demo
cracy which was manifesting itself
there, albeit little crudely. He did
much to smoothe the ruffled feelings
OF the Russians and repair the breach
between the bolsheviki and the pre-.
mier.
But this time the premier has the
advantage Of speaking last Hertling
and Czernin made their so-called
peace overtures. President Wilson
answered on Monday, with broad
intimation to the Austrian foreign
minister that his line Of talk was pc.
culiarly acceptable as far as it went.
He even left the way open for addi-
tional overtures by Czernin, and prac-
tically invited him to entertain
thoughts of a separate peace and a
division in the ranks of the Teuton
allies.
And while this idea was being re-
ceived in the United States and Eng
land with considerable applause, Pre-
mier Lloyd George, in his character
istic straightforward fashion, stood up
| h1 ~
day and declared that Count Czernin.
for all his apparent willingness to con-
slider a peace on just terms, really Is
merely a vassal OF the kaisers and is
bound hand and foot by the Prussfan
program.
All of which was as plain in Presd-
dent Wilson's mind as in that OF Lloyd
George, even while the former was ut
tering the words which very cleverfy
marked the difference, on the surface
at least, between the peace offers of
the two Teutonfc nations. But the
president was following the slight ad-
vantage which Count Czenin's atd-
tude permitted him. He was speak
ing not so much to Americans as to
Austrians and Germans, and far less
to the rulers OF those nations than to
the proletariat-
LLOYD George. on the other hand,
was speaking to the house OF COM
mons. Not that he cared who heard
him, for he has made it apparent on
numerous occa sions that he has no de-
sire nor inclination to be anything
but frank in his hatred fer every
thing German or tending to uphold the
German view.
In both cases we have cited, Lloyd
George seems right and President
Wilson seems wrong. at first glance.
The bolsheviki proved that they were
unworthy OF the slightest confidence
or sympathy; no one in his right
senses has any idea that Germany and
Austria can be pried apart by logic
applied externally.
But when the student searches be-
low the surface. remembering that re-
cent events have disclosed a condition
far from ideal and among the people
of both the Teutonic empires, it is
not difficult to see that President
Wilson is playing the deeper game
and that Lloyd George is in the posi-
ton of a man who loses his temper
in a personal argument
Beginning with his first war mes
sage, the president has lost no oppor
tunity to make his appeal straight to
the proletariat Of the countries we
are fighting. His repeated assurance
that the United States was not max
ing war on the German people would
Eave grown rather monotonous had it
been uttered merely for Americans to
hear. But it struck its proper target,
beyond the Rhine It had something
to do with the recent strikes there.
which. although they were quelled.
left their mark Of weakness in the
fabric on which the kaiser ultimately
must depend for the permanency OF
his unjust government and for
strength to carry on the war.
Lloyd George, as George Pattullo
might say, is one grand little fighter,
but il this war is to be won with soft
words he would do we'll to pass when
his turn to crate rolls around,
and let Mr.. Wilson spill the peace
talk.
Every man. woman and child in