New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-04
Be Subtle, Mr.: Wilson
o the Editor of The Tribune.

q lHe EuiLOf Oh Inc tribune.
Sir: In his Christmas Day address to our
troops President Wilson said that America
had prepared the chart which had been ac-
cepted to guide the labors of the peace con
gress, and this notion seems to be finding
acceptance in many quarters. 1t viii oventu-
ally do much harm, for in q negotiation
the first rule is TO seek to produce the i'm
preston that the other parties are getting
things their way so that you may get what
you really after yourself
OF this primary expedient of successful
bargaining President has apparently
lost sight, just ne is not giving sufi-
cient heed to another maxim and that Is.
never to say 81 won't for a negative alb
solutc like Mr.. Wilson's recent point blank
refusal in Manchester to join any league of
nations which does not comprise ali ma
tons breaks off discussion Add to this
that we are openly menacing Great Britain
with navy large or larger than her
own, and we have violation of third canon
Of a successful DEAL which is never 10
threaten. Men will go to great lengths on
posing you rather than yield to your threat
Besides, why should we suggest that the
peace chart originated in America since
the statement coming from US is harmful
to our interests, even though il fatters our
vanity and is besides untrue? Mr.. Wilson's
fourteen points were announced on January
5. 1918 Three days before Mr. Llovd
George made an official governmental state
mcnt covering the same ground which
statement was presented at length in Amer
lean papers on January 6. This statement
of the British Premier covered and to the
same effect, Mr.. Wilson's points five. SIX.
eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve thirteen and
fourteen, relating to the colonies Belgium.
Alsace- Lorraine. Italy, Austria Hungary
the Balkans, Turkey, Poland and the pcace
league. the differences being largely verbal
The sixth point relates to Russia. which Mr..
Wilson, at that time, thought could be
brought to the light by reasonable per
suaslon' just as IN previous case he had
felt about Mexico. This has no present day
force, and is not part of any chart now in
use.
lnere remain point one which demands
open peace covenants openly arrived at,
which is nov being honored more IL the
breach than in the observance. and point
tour, which calls for reduction OF arma'
ments at just the time our government pur.
poses to increase tremendously our naval
programme. TO this we must add point two,
covering the freedom of the seas, even In
war times, which Mr.. Wilson has told NJ
Clemenceau will still permit the British
navy to do just what it has been doing
these last four years, that the point Is
reduced to a mere juggling with words:
and there is point three, TO the re-
moval of economic barriers between
nations, which Mr.. Wilson, before the last
election. whitfield down to an equally mean
ingless set of phrases. The so-called four
teen points of Mr.. Wilson, so far as they
have any ascertainable meaning. or are
serving as guiding principles or as charts
for the peace congress, are thus found to
be not of American but of Allied manufact-
ure. GUSTAV Kissing.
New York, Dec. 81, 1918.