New-York tribune., 1918-08-04
Secret Diplomacy of
Wilson Is Condemned
Germany May Bait Peace
Trap With League Talk,
He Warns
,copyrish, 1918. Tbs Kansas City Star. }


horse sense. and its development the
only safe basis for such international
ism as is typified by the aims of the
League to Enforce Peace. Warning OF
possible peace drive on Germany's
part after its unsuccessful offensive, he
points out that the lure Of an interna-
tional league may be used as bait by
Germany.
Pointing out that good faith and sim
cerity are prime requisites in the or
ganization of such a league, he says:
"The United States must come into
court with clean hands. She must not
pledge herself without reservation to
the right of self determination for
each people while she has behaved tow
ard Haiti and Santo Domingo as she is
now behaving" He condemns the "se-
cret diplomacy" which prevented the
PEOPLE from learning whether the
United States was justified or not in
its treatment of those countries, and
says:
Be Honest With Ourselves
"Let US put trust neither in rhetoric
nor hypocrisy, whether conscious or
unconscious. Let US be honest with
ourselves. Let US look the truth in
the face Let us remember what Ger
many, Austria and Turkey have actu-
ally done. Let US remember what Rus
sa has suffered from Germany and the
worse than folly with which she has
behaved to everyone else. Let US re-
member what has happened to China
and what We have made happen to
Haiti and Santo Domingo. Then let US
trust for cur salvation to a sound and
intense American nationalism."
The editorial, in part, folows:
"Tne glorious victory of the Allies in
the second bat.l of the Marne, a VIC
tory in which the hard fighting soldiers
Of the American army have borne so
distinguished and honorable a part,
may mean the failure of the German
military offensive for this year. There
fore it may mean a renewal of the Ger
man peace offensive. No man can
prophesy in these matters, but the Ger
mans may continue the war for a long
time; and therefore we should prepare
to have in France an army of 4.OO0,O0O
tghtlng men for the battlefront next
spring.
But the Germans may try to make
peace instead of continuing the war,
and may seek to cover the retention Of
some of their ill-gotten substantial
gains by nominal and theoretical sup
port OF some glttering proposal about
league of nations to end all war.
ihey VIII thereby hope to keep part of
tneir booty by appealing to what is
vaguely called internationalism and
getting the support not only of sent-
mentallsts who do not like to look un-
pleasant facts in the face, but also on
tne good people who are appalled, and
puzzled and panic struck by the horror
uermany has brought on the world and
VINO instead of bracing themselves to
put down this horror by their own
hardened strength and iron will, clutch
at any quick remedy which false proph-
ets hold out as Offering a substitute
tor such action
Applied "Horse Sense"
,|Iherefore it is we'll at this time for
soper and resolute men and women to
apply shat excellent variety of wisdom
ce1olloqulaly known as "horse sense" to
AN'iAo W uoblOIldllSHl ana inter-
na1ionailsm. These problems will not
D., ne solved by rhetoric. Least Of all will
,,nney be solved by competitive rhetoric.
masters OF phrasemaking may win i'm
mense although evanescent applause
" outvying one another in words that
gutter, but these glittering words will
not have one shred of lasting effect on
Ihe outcome except in so far as they
may nave very mischievous effect il
lhey persuade people to abandon the
possible real good in the fantastic eff
lort 10 achieve an impossible unreal
perfection.
ANY league of nations must, Of
SSourse' include the nine nations which
aaye greatest military strength, or
"lii De utterly impotcnt. These nine
nations include Germany. Austria.
, turkey and Russia The first three
nave abundantly shown during the last
louf years that no written or other
promise Of the most binding kind has
actions. Npo" 'l'''-
Must Have Clean Hands
me United States must come into
80 ~ WIN clean hands. She must not
.st.soge herself, without reservation, to
sae rhgnt of determination for
h people while she has behaved
az "afa hayti and Santo Domingo as
iii. 's no" behaving. 1t is not pos
=; ;.Dis ior me to say whether our action
IN these two cases has been rjoht ~
miong, because the Administration.
WIN its usual horror of publicity.
;,aer ;rne,ner pitiless or otherwise, and it's
Ssstcrate prediiection for secret and
~, s'.ye diplomacy, has kept most Of
@oe facts hidden.
sy., peiieVe tnat there was no possible
tbssase the Tor such secret diplomacy in
bese cases and that the same course
InD"id nave been followed as vas fol-
I,ea IN the case Of the Panama reyo-
ass,s, "nere every fact was mmedi-
cIy iaid, without reservation. before
nohgress. But even IL am wrong in
my, my oeiief in the general principle Of
~. Nh diplomacy, and even IL the Ad-
ni;.o'ra!ion ~ right in its consistent
H. o' secret diplomacy az regards
nr., mr. mass Of questions which think
ln' ,nlin 70 be made public, the fact re-
my .ha> we have with armed force
81. u made war upon and conquered
tbs,x s '%o small republics, have apset
tna KGfernments. have denied them
bay. "Rh' of sclf-dctcrmination and
Ji,n', MADE democracy within sheir
exi,tent. '"'"ie' out non
IN 40 we have no published facts to
enngn! an ! cannot say whether their mis-.
d,aa.,c' duuc' did or did not warrant such
s,sne ste action en- our part, but on the
that the administration
H. properly ne are committed TO
rns yf'ncipie that some nations are
d. dss.ht NJ for self determination, that
ssaa.Defacy within their limits is a.
s"a,n sns.' and that their ofengcs against
'sss'cs and right are such ~ to render