Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-21
CHAPTER XXXII
Wilson, the Warrior

LIS lJISSloSIlL 1lC1N O1S O41O W.
ject, to throw all the nations ener-
gy into the scale for the defeat of
Germany. Because he did not blus-
ter and voice daily hymns of hate
against Germany, he was singular
ly misunderstood by some of his fell
low-citizens, who, in their own boil
ing anger against the enemy, would
sometimes peevishly inquire, "Does
he really hate Germany" The presi-
dent was too much occupied with
deeds to waste time in word-vapor-
ing. BY every honorable means he
had sought to avoid the issue. but
a truculent and fatuous foe had
made war necessary, and into that
war the peace-loving president went
with the grim resolution of an iron
warrior. In his attitude before and
during the war, his motto might
have been the familiar words OF
Polonius:
Beware of entrance to a quarrel;
but being in,
oOcI1 ~ LllcLI Li1O OPPO0SA AAASAJ OS"S~A "
of thee"
Occasionally, as at Baltimore, on
April 6, 1918, the public heard from
him brief, ringing speeches of war
like resolutions:
Germany has once more said
that force and force alone shall
decide whether justice and peace
oh ol iy7 n ffoir~cs nf
whether right, as America con-
ceives it shall determine the des-
TIMES of mankind. There is,
therefore, but one response pos
sible from us: Force, force to
the utmost; force without stint
or limit, the righteous and tri-
umphant force which shall make
right the law of the world, and
cast every selfish dominion
down in the dust.
Months after hostilities had end
ed, there appeared from time to
time in the newspapers, without his
or my knowledge of proposed pub
lication, utterances of his to military
men during the conflict which show
ed his warrior heart and his eXtraor-
binary ability to grasp technical
military problem, such as his dis
patch to Admiral Sims, his address
to the officers of the Atlantic fleet
and his interview with Marshal
Joffre' in the White House. Perhaps
it is not generally known that Mr..
Wilson, who has constantly read
and loved the philosophic poetry of
Wordsworth, has also been an in
tense admirer Of Shakespeare's war
rior-hero, Henry ", and has fire.
quently read aloud to friends, with
explanations of admiration, the STIR
ring speeches of Henry in the
Shakespearian play.
Gable to Sims
The cable message to Admiral
Sims is as follows:
From the President, for Admiral
Sims, American Embassy, London,
July 5, 1917.
Strictly confidential.
From the beginning of the
war, I have been greatly sur
prised at the failure of the Brit
ish admiralty to use Great Brit
aims great naval superiority in
an effective way. In the pres
ence of the present submarine
emergency they are helpless to
the point Of panic. Every plan
we suggest they reject for some
reason Of prudence. In my view,
this is not a time for prudence,
but for boldness even at the cost
of great losses. In most Of your
dispatches you have quite prop
erly advised us of the sort of
aid and cooperation desired from
us by the admiralty. The trou-
4 ;e, nj h
DDS do not seem to us effica-
cious. I would be very much
obliged to you if you would re-
port to me, confidentially, of
course, exactly what the admir-
atty has been doing, and what
they have accomplished, and, adj
ded to the report, your own COM
ments and suggestions, based
upon independent thought Of the
whole situation, without regard
to the judgments of any one on
that side of the water. The adj
miralty was very slow to adopt
the protection or convoy and it is
not now, I judge, (protecting)
conveys on adequate scale with
in the danger zone, seeming to
keep small craft with the grand
ll0Sl. Liz ctDS6IlCS VI CLdL> LUZ
convoy is even more apparent
on the French coast than on
the English coast and in the
channel. I do not see how the
necessary military supplies and
supplies of food nd fuel oil are
to be delivered at British ports
in any other way within the
next few months than under adj
equate convoy. There will pres
emily not be ships or tankers
enough, and our shipbuilding
plans may not begin to yield i'm
portant results in less than
eighteen months. 1 believe that
you will keep these instructions
absolutely and entirely to your
self, and that you will give me.
such advice as you would give
if you were handling and if you
were running navy of your
own.
(Signe0 WOODROW WILSON.
Address to Naval Officers
For sheer audacity, there is not
much that can be ~~-npared with his
address to the officers of tie Atlantic
leet on August II, 1917: