The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-12-26

NOT Tor the circus parade did Pres
cent wilson go to Europe. though the
circus parade from Rome to London
VIII De the greatest military triumph
ever seen on earth. President Wilson
went TO Europe for three major poll
cies.
First. FOR freedom of the seas.
Seeond. for a democratic. economic
loteraationalisn, and third, for a
league of democracies.
And to explain them-even in the
terms of the presidents own speeches
makes it obvious that a man of the
presidents cast of mind could not stay
at home while these things are in the
making. But those near the president
now are using "a candor in discussing
his plans which makes it plain that
they feel tna their chiefs tempera-
mental lack of candor is unfortunate,
1t is fair that the American people
should know in plain terms just what
their chief is after for them in Europe.
And what follows will not be credited
to ON in a position TO know nor TO
one of the presidents advisors nor to
"a man whose name would carry far
more thar merely official weight. 1T it
were disclosed" What follows is what
scores of men know who have spoken
to the president. But may write
with the bride off who has not talked
to the president when one has found
many men talk SO freely. Hence, TINS
definition of terms and aims in simple
English.
Freedom Of the Seas.
First-The free interchange OF non
contraband goods in war and the dell
milton of food not consigned nor evil
GENTLY destined for soldiers" as nom
contraband goods. Seccnd--the ponc-
ing of all canals and strategic stralts-
Panama, Suez, the Dardanelles, the
Kiel canal and Gibraltar-by an inter
national naval police force under the
executive direction of the United
States. Why the United States? Be
cause England, the worlds greatest
sea power. trusts us. Why? Because
we gave England trade rights through
Panama when we might have inter-
preted an ambiguous treaty against
her. Giving England the freedom Of
the Panama canal is one of the bases
upon which the presidents whole for
eign policy rests. He stresses national
tcnor. He believes that bread cast
upon the international waters in 1913
is about TO return in American glory in
1919. There can be no doubt but that
the president is resigned to the fact
that England will continue to be mis-
tress of the seas. But America will be
the traffic cop who will keep her down
to the traffic rules and stop scandal!
This will grind the faces off British i'm
perialism. But it will probably satisfy
British labor, and that situation is i'm
portant. We will return to it later.
Democratic lnternationalism.
Now for the second proposition. a
democratic, economic internationalism.
We nus not forget hat peace without
victory is n Of President Wilson'S
phrases. He is not a bitter ender. A
man who is too proud to fight ma be
= bit ~squeamish about loot. 1t is the
academic mind. And the German in
tuition is keen. The invitations to visit
Germany will be rejected because that
would be embarrassing to one who pro-
poses to declaim before the peace con-
ference squarely against an economic
boycott on Germany. For a year the
president has had q group Of college
professors working on economic ques-
lions tina shall arise after the war. And
these professors will scent a German
boycott a decade off in any innocent
| pilIitSe ltl'tl may be PROPOSED DS the I'M
perialist of ary nation at the confer
ence. The president has the college
professors low esteem of the business
man. SO the president may be depended
upon to stand for no peace terms that
will merely hep business That pro-
gram also will offend the European
imperialist; but it surely will meet with
the approval of the liberal, the labor
crowd and the socialists Of an inter
national frame OF mind, and in Europe
they have ~it--except the Germans who
are eve Germans" first.
Tho League Of Nations.
Third-We now come to the league
of nations. must first of all he
democratic. And the president never
has indicated that he believed q form
OF government determined democracy
in a nation. A democratic nation. ac-
cording to the Wilsonian formula. is n
free nation, a nation in which live nc
coerced populations. From the .presi-
dents recent public utterances-and
these are emphasized by his reiterated
private cxpress:ons-thc American
stand for a league of nations will be
organized not to enforce peace but tc
prevent war. The Wilson idea is mil
lenial, not military. He will stand for
supervised elections in self determine
ton among the weaker people-the
buffer state people, tho exploited and
intrigued smaller nations-and no one
about the president would be sur
prised to see him drop Ireland Ike a
monkey wrench intosthe machinery o
the conference if it seems ID lack Other
diversions. and again we find a police
which would soil the waters of tbs
I-.n,1lp. ~ ,l-n,f1,, - nd rive IA -,
comfort to their adversaries.
! hr. Wilson's Methods.
This program Of Mr.. Wilson'S viii
not be popular with the ENJOYS OF the
| allies at the peace conference. No one
knows his better thar the president
Yet he believes hat it is a program
that Will find great favor among the
war wearieii masses of Europe. He is
aiming at them. And because he is aim
ing at them he Went to Europe. Flo,
i them, protest his friends the trans.