The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-13


 President Wilson's book, entitled "In Our First Year of the War" is inter esting from many standpoints, first be- cause the book Is written by our Presi- dent, containing, as it does, his great special messages and opinions; and sec ond, because the war is the most inter- esting and vital topic now before the world.
 Perhaps the best review" of the Presi- dents oook, Tn Our First Year of the War" has been made by Stephane Lau- game editor of Le Matin, and mem Der of the French high commission. for the Literary Section of the New York Times Among other things the re viewer says
 Should a writer of the allied coun- tries be privileged to. give a subtitle to the book containing the war messages ] Of President Wilson he would doubtless at once write beneath Tn Our First Year of War the words, The Gospel of the Allied Cause for this book sum- marizes all the principles, all the ideas for which, during 40 months, millions of men have been fighting and dying on the fields of old Europe.
 The feeling of the allied nations to- ward President Wilson is curious and | impregnated with a profound respect; but, up to the second of April, 1917. the nations felt toward President Wilson a little as the soldiers in the trenches feel toward tlle general in chief They felt that he IS very remote. They ask each other; Does he know everything that | is going on? Does he take into ac- count our sufferings? Is he really aware of the savagery of the foes that con front us?'
 At times they fear that they do not understand the general in chief or that the general in chief does not under stand them. Whereupon something hap pens Tn the midst of a fight, some epi- sode flashes up in the battle, and every body is enlightened and reassured If proves that the general in chief is not unaware of even the smallest circun, stance of the battle; his soldiers pierce the meaning of his tactical instructions and congratulate themselves that he is Tar Tn the rear because he is enabled thereoy 70 grasp better the struggle as a whole. The soldiers pay homage to the sureness of his vision, to the nr,,. dence of his measures, to the excellant lco-ordination of the movements which he has prescc cibed ~
 TO the eyes of the allied nations tbe thoughts, meanings and tactics of presi- ueht wilson have, since the 2d of April c1 | lhey understand at one and the san,a moment what the President is doing . | the present time, what he was doing in lne past, what he will do in the future Each of his subsequent messages ha . simply increased the effect produced by his frst and augmented the enthusiasm which 1t caused.
 Let nobody be mistaken ahout ona thing: This enthusiasm is not due to | the Tact that, on the 2d of April, the President led the United States into the war and, by so doing added to the chances of victory. Nol-ths enthusi- asm was due to the fact that in the historical message of April 2, as well as i'll the messages that followed it. the allies found again, in the words of the President the echo of their own senti- ments, of their own will, of their own hopes, strengthened in volume by dis tance.
 This is especially true of the French, Latin race, which attaches to words a profound significance, which will re- remain to the end of time enamored of form. responsive to loftness of thought and nobility of language And what more beautiful form. what loftier thought, what nobler language can one 1 imagine than those of these messages?
 The closing phrase of the message Of April is one of the most magnificent
 
 French. Therein they found. crystallized : into sublime words the reasons that made the entire French race fight, sui fer and bleed.
 :" TO such task (malSing the world free) we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has , come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the princi- pies that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured.
 And there is this phrase in the mes sage concerning the terms of peace
 about Alsace- -Lcrraine:
 The wrong done to France by Prus- ' sia in 1S71 in the matter of Alsace- Lor- raine, which has unsettled the peace of the world for nearly 50 years, should bt r righted, in order that peace may once I more be made secure in the interests oi all' .s
 Count the number of lines; there are exactly seven. In these seven lines the . entire problem of Alsace- Lorraine, the I entire revindcation of race, of two a generations Is luminously summarized , France does not want Alsace-Lorraine N for the purpose of adding some square q kilometres to her territory (from 1SSf 3 to 1910 France saw her colonial empire - increased by 10,O00,000 square kilometres
 
 wants it because 1t is matter of righ q land justice: because one does not bar [ gain with right and justice. One stands . or falls with them.
 z "The thought expressed ny the Presi s dent is so clear. so limpid. that wher
 one of the ideas enunciated or one ol e the phrases expressed by him gives [ rise to discussion the reason usually is n hat those who discuss have not reat e or that those who comment have noi l taken the trouble to quote his text cor rectly.
 , "One thing the book. In Our Firs :, Year of War cannot express-which is n my oly grievance against 1t. It can not tell how these messages were reat
 various audiences.
 ' "IIe who writes these lines will alway.
 remember that scene on April 2, 1917 I when the President, having taken from | his pocket some very small sheets ol paper began to read the messages tha revolutionized the world and history His voice. though remarkably clear ane precise, was cold; but one realized tha it was voluntarily cold. It had nons
 of that change of diapason that move. , the crowd and causes outbursts of ap
 plause His words spoke only to thu heart and mind. And throughout hi . reading his voice remained unchanged In speaking these words, never to b. obliterated; We will not choose thu path of submission. Right is more
 precious than peace the tone of tn,
 voice did not rise. it did not become ] more emphatic or declamatory it re