Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-07
IDEALS or PRESIDENT
WILSON ARE UNCHANGED
ica's Real War Aims Is Not to
Establish World Power.
EXPLAINS OUR EXECUTIVE
Munich Teacher Tells Countrymcn
United States Has Power to Null
lily Tcutonic Triumph by Use OF
Economic Pressure.
BY PROFESSOR VI. F. bonn.
International New, Buresu.I

German opinion is much perpleXcd
over the President Wilson riddle"
How IS he to be understood. and what
exactly is he aiming at? How comes
1t that the worlds greatest pac!tist OF
4 gear ago is to day the worlds great
est iusGuaboutist, that tho man Wit ir
December. 1916. asked E;uroUs TO &C
cept d peace without vic,or5 or van
pushed, IS to-day the enemy statesman
who is !asistcnt on victory? Ike con.
Neuiicnal explanation in Germany is
as might be expected the least geucr-
GUS: that II Is also grotesqueiy absurd
does not diminish the conviction with
which It is held. DIR. Wilson's phrase
making, it Is believed is a more blind
he was as insincsre in lis pac;Isrn
twelve months since as he is in his
profesaed idealisn: he made the C-boa:
campaign his pretext for entering tho
war; he was simply awaiting for a :1re.
text, and IL the U-boat had not served
his purpose. another pretext would
nave been found. All this is the sham
Wilson. which must not he taken too
seriously. the true Wilson Is hard.
headed business American" with vas,
aims. worthy OF poliitco- mic
Napoleon. eliminating IN the erection
OF tho United States into supreme
world power. which will "d.splace Eng
land from her position" and dictate
to a Europe utterly exhausted by
Americas deliberate pro!ongation Of
the war. His sentimental moral, and
idea!istlc phrases. are merely a device
20 cover up the real intention.
Against this nonsense, Professor 81
r. Bonn, who Is head OF tho Munich
Commercial School. raises his voice in
the "Meunchster Observation-Disclosures" In
a couple OF articles he gives a saner
and truer view OF the President.
There is no contradiction between
| he Wilson OF year ago and the VIII
son Of day
his Ideals remain the same, and his
VIII 70 enforce them unchanged
lie Is generally alarmed about the
lature OF democracy. 1t was this alarm
t'at brought him into the war. and he
VIII use every weapon at Americas dis .
osa!-and more effective of all. the
economic weapon--to insure that de
1ocracy shall not perish from the
earth"
President Wilson'S real war aim is
Tot TO establish Americas world power
"A conception which would seem lu
G!crous 10 Americans-but to the pre-
vention OF German victory. from a
lear OF German preponderance, which
would mean the death Of the demo-
cratic principle.
Mr.. Wilson did his best TO bring the
deavors.
only when the U-boat and then the
npenhing collapse OF Russia. made him
raid OF German victory did he de-
eide on intervention.
Thus the reversal OF American policy
came about. which turned the disciple
OF peace by understanding into an
apostle OF a peace by force
! There Is no break Of inconsistency
between tho one attitude and the other.
! II Mr.. Wilson's ideas about the Ger
man menace appear rid TEDIOUS In Ger
man eyes. this is no proof that by
Americans they are not taken in deadly
earnest
GERMANS MUST TAKE INTO
| ACCOUNT DEADLY EARNESTNESS
/ II IS a deadly earnestness that must
/ be taken into account. America will
continue the struggle even ii all the
other nations drop out of 1t. She has
/ in her hands the weapon OF the eco
/ nomic boycott, which she Will use ruth
lessly and with effect. to achieve her
one purpose-the triumph Of democ-
racy. The President is under no illu-
sions as 20 military victory:
lie doe. not exclude the possibility OF
/ American support in its greatest com
mass being unable to effect Il final de-
cision on the held OF battle.
In that case he will deliver his final
stroke. TO accomplish which his diplo-
I NldCE Is aSSiduoOS!y working.
The whole world over the seas is to
he combined together in order to es-
tablish a lasting embargo on the trans
port 10 Germany of means OF srbsis-
tence and raw material. This certain
" will not bring about the defeat OF
Germany on the field OF battle nor
liberate the occupied countries
But, such is his idea. it will turn Ger
many and her allies and neighbors into
~ ia.la 60
vent any recovery on the part of Ger
! nNanN.