The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-12-26

ident Wilson go to Europe, though tn
circus parade from Rome to London
will be the greatest military triumph
ever seen on earth. President Wilson
went to Europe for three major poll
cies.
First, for freedom of the seas
Second. for q democratic, economic
internationalism, and third. for
league of democracies.
And to explain them-even in tn
terms Of the presidents own speeches
makes 1t obvious that a man OF TIT
presidents cast of mind could not sta!
at home while these things are in th'
making. But those neal the president
now are using Il candor in discussing
his plans which makes ii plain tina
they feel that their chiefs tempera'
mental lack of candor Is unfortunate
1t Is fair that the American people
should know in plain terms just wha'
their chief is after for them in Europe
And what follows will not be credited
to "one in a position to know" nor &c
n of the presidents advisors nor &c
"a man whose namc would carry 1af
more than merely official weight II II
were disclosed" What follows is what
scores of men know who have spoken
to the president. But n may write
with the bride off who has not talked
to the president when n has founo
many men talk so freely. Hence this
definition Of terms and aims In simple
English.
Freedom of the Seas.
First-The free interchange OF nom
contraband goods in war n the den-
milton Of food not consigned nor evil
IDENTIFY destined for soldiers" as non
contrabard goods. Second-the polio
ing of all canals and strategic straits
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? Becaus
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
kcnor. He believes that bread cast
upon the international waters in 1913
is about to return in American glory In
1919. There a 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 must not forget that peace without
victory is one of President Wilson's
phrases. He Is not a bitter ender. A
man who is too proud to fight may be
a 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 a group Of college
professors working on economic CUES
tons that shall arise after the war. And
these professors Will scent a German
boycott a decade off in any innocent
phrase that may be proposed by the i'm
pcrialist Of any 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-eycept the Germans who
are I'VE Germans" first.
The League Of Nations,
Third-We now come to the leasue
of nations. That must first of all BIO
democratic. And tho president never
has indicated that he believed a form
OF government determined democracy
in n nation. A democratic nation. ac-
cording to the Wilsonian formula, is q
free nation, a nation in which live no
coerced populations. From the presl-
dents recent public utterances-and
these are emphasized by his reiterated
private eXpressions-the American
stand for a league of nations will he
vi atilLNu - ~ DSdCe DuJ 10
prevent war. The Wilson idea is mill
lenial, not military. He will stand for
supervised elections in self determine
ton amorg the weaker people-the
buffer state people, the exploited and
intrigued smaller nations-and no one
about the president would be sur
prised to see him drop Ireland like a
monkey wrench into the machinery OF
the conference II 1t seems TO lack other
diversions, and again we find a policy
which would soil the waters of the
worlds Junserdom and give aid and
comfort to their adversaries.
Mr.. Wilson's Methods.
This program OF Mr.. Wilson'S will
not be popular with the ENJOYS OF the
allies at the peace conference. No one
knows this better than the president.
Yet he believes that ii Is a program
that will find great favor~among the
war wearicd masses of Europe. He Is
aiming al them. And because he is aim
ing at them he went to Europe. For
them. protest his friends. the trans
continental European circus parade:
for them the pomp and circumstance
of an American president leaving his
country. breaking all presidents AMI
receiving such homage from the nobil-
ity of Europe as no king or conquerer
ever dared hope for. And still his
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