Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-31
COUNTRY AROUSED
BY WILSON APPEAL

A Washington special to the Bos-
ton Transcript says: THE only an
swer can make is to send my check
for twice the amount of my usual
subscription and to pledge myself to
double the amount Of my work for
Republican candidates." Scores of
letters of this tenor are now flooding
the Offices of Senators Lodge. Smoot
and Curtis, the Republican leaders:
Chairman Tess of the Republican
Congressional committee and other
leading men of the party here-the
:eply of their writer's to the Presi-
dents appeal to partisanship. Checks
accompany all the letters, and the
authors say that the sentiments they
express accurately reflect public feel
ing in their communities.
From every quarter come express
sions that the President had every
thing to lose and nothing to gain by
stirring up the party fires at this
time, for they had been smoldering
and the Republican organizations
were in particularly good trim for a
fight which they had not expected.
In fact, however, the minority
found themselves at a serious disad-
vantage in a contest with the Presi-
dent for neither their publicity nor
their election machinery was in the
best possible shape, except in some Of
tine states where the fights are hot
test. But resentment against the ac-
ton OF the President is so general
that the Republican directors, a little
ri ut hN hn ot.
tack from the White House. are now
confident that the tide is rapidly
turning in their direction.
Debate among the specialists CEN
tiers about the fourteen points, but
the rank and file of Republicans ap-
parently are not concerning them
selves so much with fine distinctions
as they are expressing their surprise
and indignation that the President,
first in his series of notes to Ger
many and secondly in his appeal for
party support for the war, should
have muddlel what was really a very
simple situation in which the only
factors were tn" guns Of the Allied
troops and the plain demand for an
unconditional surrender by the Gen.
trail Powers. Discussion of point 8
has particularly alarmed the Demo-
Gratis and led to a further explanation
of his own words by the President,
who apparently is now fearful that
he shall be understood as suggesting
Il free trade program after the war
when he intended only a protection Of
Germany against commercial boy
colt. in the interest OF the common
market. The most impressive fea-
ture Of the situation is the. necessity
Under which the President finds him.
self to explain most of his utter
ances and to withdraw some of them
as not fitting the situation of the
moment 1t is now recalled that the
President started very early to mis-
read public sentiment in the United
States, for on Dec. 8, 1914, in his an
nual address before Congress, Mr..
Wilson declared state Of mind
which appears impossible at the pres
ent time, one never shared, for ex-
ample, by men like Roosevelt and
Lodge. Said Mr.. Wilson: More
than this" preparedness for national
defence), proposed at this time, per-
'-A-S AAAS W say "Ouio llItdH iHeTely
that we had lost our self possession.
that we had been thrown off our bal
ance by war with which we have
nothing to do, whose causes cannot
touch us, whose every expense gives
US opportunities for friendship and
disGnterested service which should
make impossible to us any hostile
preparation for trouble"
The deadly parallel is set forth
however, not by the distinguished
Republicans but by no less a person
age than the Dcmc cratic vice presi-
dent Of the United States. Mr..
Marshall said in an address in Madi-
son square only month ago: Il
came here partly to make an apology
an apology for my attitude during
almost two years and a half of that
hateful conflict, an apology that a
God-fearing man in, the twentieth
century of civilization could have
dreamed that any ration, any people
or any man could be neutral when
right was fighting with wrong"
(Theodore Roosevelt)
He in no way djsoIir.inates be-
tween Democrats who are pro-war