Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-14
Woodrow Wilson
BY CONDO
AS | KNOW HIM
BY JOSEPH P. TUMULTY.

JCSbILO LII 70 VI LLlO ~ N0AASAAN . A~SN~
ism, it's full military value may be
measured by the fact that between
April S, and December s, 1917, six
teen states. great and small, de-
clared war against Germany, or sew
cred diplomatic relations with her.
From the very first the allies &C.
copied the president as their spokes-
| man"
1t was under the influence of
Woodrow Wilson's clear vision and
magic power of statement that the
true significance of the war became
clear. AT first it had seemed a war
of nations, and the belligerents had
eagerly published official documents
Red Books, White Books, Yellow
Books and so forth through all the
colors of the spectrum, to show who
had started the war" The ques-
ton of who began it became after
while quite secondary to the ques-
ton Of the fundamental principles
at stake in the contest, which was
no longer a national conflict, but a
World war, waged to the death be-
tween two irreconcilable views of
the relationship of government to
individuals, the autocratic view on
IIlS OIl0 IldIlu, OH Lilo OL1lST lIlS uSIL-
ocratic. 1t was one man who brought
the fundamental principle of the
division into the clear light. A con-
temporary writer has said that the
magical effect Of Woodrow Wilson's
utterances on all the allies was due,
not his rhetoric, but to his sublime
gift of seeing and stating a pro-
found truth after which the others
L. onf Sc "a
prophets power, to, voice the latent,
inarticulate aspirations of the null
tjtude.
Proof of the value Of the presi-
dents method of attacking the cen
trail powers from within by propa-
ganda was disclosed to General Luz
tons. In Ludendorff's opinion, the
presidents note to Germany had
forced the central empires to yield to
the president.
Ludendorff as Text
Ludendorff says:
"In his answer to our second note,
Wilson gave us nothing; he did not
even tell whether the entente took
it's stand on the fourteen points. He
demanded, however, the suspension
Of the submarine campaign, stigma
tized our conduct of the war in the
west as a violation Of international
law, and once again sought to med
die with intimate questions Of our
domestic politics"
Speaking again Of the answer to
one of the Wilson Eotes, Ludendorff
says: 1.-THE answer to Wilson was
81, n%L. -
The submarine campaign was aban
doned. This concession to Wilson
was the deepest blow to the army
and especially to the navy. The in
jury to the morale of the fleet must
have been immeasurable. The cabi-
net had throw Ip the sponge"
On October % President Wilson
sent the following preemptory mes
sage TO the Germans:
at is evident that the German
people have no means of command
ing the acquiescence of the military
authorities of the empire in the pop
ular will; that the purpose of the
King of Prussia to control the policy
of the empire is still unimpaired. If
the United States must deal with the
military masters and monarchical
authorities now, or II 1t IS llkley TO
have to deal with them later in re-
gard to international obliC lions of
the German empire. it must demand
not peace negotiations but surren-
der. Nothing can be- gained by leav-
ing this essential thing unsaid."
In discussing this and the Other
Wilson notes, Ludendorff said that
they had dealt a vital blow at the
heart Of the militaristic Germans
and finally loosed The. grip they held
on the German people. This entire
situation is best expressed in Luden-
dorff's own words:
ION October % or "a Wilson's an
swer arrived. 1t was a strong an
swer to our cowardly note. This
time he had made it quite clear that
the armistice conditions must be
such as to make it impossible for
Germany to resume hostilities, and
to give the powers allied against her
unlimited power to settle themselves
the details of the peace accepted by
Germany. In my view there could
no longer be doubt in any mind
that we must continue the fight. I
felt quite confident that the people
were So to be won over f. this
course.
ITO Re ContinuedN