The sun., 1919-07-08
A PREDICTION FULFILLED.
Washington Warned OF the Danger Of
"the Reputation for Weakness"

League Of Nations. or OF a league of ma
tons. with this remarkable comment
A fundamental error into which OPP
ponents OF q league OF nations have
fallen Is the assumption that by stay
Ing out Of such league the United
States can maintain a splendid isola-
ton which will keep us out of future
wars. The great war from which we
are now emerging shows the magnitude
| of this illusion.
We were not drawn into the world
war voluntarily. We tried to maintain
our traditional policy OF isolation but
failed, for the reason that America has
grown % great in material. moral and
political influence and Is now such q
vital factor in the family of nations
that no great war involving the leading
Powers of the world can take place
without involving the United States In
evltably in the conflict.
Thus does Mr.. McAdoo completely re-
verse the reasoning OF President Wilson
in 1914, when the latter unqualiiedly
Endorsed Washingtons policy against
any permanent or artificial alliances
with Europe.
How does this kind Of reasoning jus
tify Itself by anything that has occurred
! since 1910?
We were forced into the war. not be-
cause America has grown 80 great or
by the inevitable trend of events, as
| Senator Hitchcock likewise insists, but
because of the timidity and weakness
| of the forces in control of our Govern
ment, OF which Mr.. McAdoo was a part.
We were forced into the war by the
| belief in Germany that we lacked cour-
age and that we were too proud to
| fght." Otherwise we would now have
no more interest in Europe or its wars
| than we had up to April !. 1917, namely.
as spectators. as neutrals and as Good
Samaritans. This Is not an idle state
ment. 1t is based upon the facts.
There IL n rank due TO the United
States" said washington In one of his
messages to Congress, (which will be
imperilled, II not absolutely lost, by the
reputation for weakness"
We permitted the German Embassy
at Washington to advertise a warning
against Americans taking passage on
! the Lusitania. We permitted thirty -two
| British vessels carrying no contraband
OF war and with American citizens on
| board to be sent to the bottom of the
| ocean. We permitted fourteen Ameri-
can ships laden with American mer-
chandise and carrying American citizens
| to be sunk.
The Administration had declared at
the beginning of the war and before our
entry into II that our future policy would
be to refuse protection to the lives and
property of miners and commercial ad-
| venturers" whose interests were In for
| eisn lands. This policy was loudly
commended by certain college professors
! who are now most vociferous In insist
Ing that we shall send our boys to for
eign lands TO protect foreign adventur-
| ers. Turkey had laughed at us when
we protested against the destruction of
an American college and the massacre
OF American citizens IN Asia Minor.
We had been insulted and assaulted
by Mexican raids on American soil.
Numbers of our citizens had been wan
tonly attacked and foully murdered in
Mexico for no other reason than that
| they were Americans. Others were COM
PEELED to fee from that country or TO
seek the protection OF the British flag
In order to remain.
We had demanded OF Huerta that he
salute the American flag, which he
| sneerngly declined to do. believe
there was some dispute over the number
OF shots. but at least Huerta came out
of that controversy In n way to make
US wish that we could forget II.
We sent an expedition after Villa but
failed to find him. One OF the soldiers
with Pershing on that expedition told
me It was the belief among the boys
! .,
Villa found.
Carranza ignored the request OF Pres
ident Wilson for the return OF some
captured American soldiers, but promptly
complied week or two later with the
same request made on behalf OF the
United States BY Mr. Gompers. A Ger
man battleship rescued some 200 Amer
lean citizens who were ensconced in a
hotel--at Tampico. think-while our
own American battleship stood in the
offing with instructions not TO go TO the
rescue Of these Americans for fear OF
angering the Mexicans. Mexico believed
we were coward nation. and the rulers
OF Europe were amazed at our patience
and pusillanimity.
! Then came the election OF 1915 with
It's slogan He kept us out OF war
Germany had given US the assurance OF
a cessation OF her ruthless submarine
warfare: but convinced now by the re.
suit OF our election that America would
not under any circumstances go to wal
she announced that she would not be
responsible for her former promises and
that she had decided to put an end to
the war by sinking every ship that en-.
tered any OF the highways OF the ocean
not specified by her as neutral waters.
"Give us only two months OF this
kind of warfare" said Zimmerman to
Ambassador Gerard. land We shall end
the war and make peace within three
months"
Had Germany had the slightest idea
that America had any pride or fghting
quality left she never would have given
US cause for war. Mr.. Gerard In his
book, My Four Years In Germany"
tells us that at this juncture he was told
by the highest German officials thai
Everything would be all right: that
President Wilson had been reelected or
a peace platform-"He kept us out OF
war'-that in spite OF anything he had
said before. he was now for peace and
that nothing would happen. And the
Germans believed this. At page 90:
Mr.. Gerard says:
The Germans believed that President
! Wilson had been elected with a man
date TO keep out OF war at any cost,
and that America could be insuitsd,
nouted and Inundated with impunity.
On the very day that diplomatic re-