Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-11-02
not to move us to any act that woult
look like hostility.

February 10.
Yesterday we talked of the holding
of Girard as a hostage. Lansing said
:here was no doubt of it. He thought
it an act of war in itself, but did not
know on what theory it was done,
except that Germany was doing what
she thought we would do. Germany
evidently was excited over her sailors
here, fearing that they would be in
termed, and over her ships. fearing
that they would be taken. / said that
it seemed to be established that Ger
many meant to do what she said she
would do and that We might as well
act on that assumption. The Presi-
dent said that he had always believed
this. but thought that there were
chances of her modifying her posi-
ton, and that he could do nothing, in
good faith toward Congress, without
going before that body. He felt that
in a few days something would be
done that would make this necessary.
February 16 1871.
At tho last meeting of the cabinet
We again urged that we should con-
voy our own ships, but the President
said that this was not possible with
out going to Congress, and he was
not ready to do that now. The Navy
people say that to convoy would be
foolish, because it would make q dou-
BILE target: but it seems to me the
right thing to risk a naval ship in
the enforcement of our right.
At our dinner to the President last
night he said he was not in sympathy
with any great preparedness: that
Europe would be man and money poor
by the end of the war. / think he is
dead wrong in this, and, as I am a
. member of the National Council of
Defense. I am pushing for everything
possible. This week we have mad
a meeting Of the council every day
the Secretary of War, Navy, Interior,
Commerce and Labor--with an adj
visory commission consisting of seven
business men. We are developing a
plan for the mobilization Of all our
national industries and resources so
that we may be ready for getting
guns. munitions. trucks, supplies. air.
planes and other material things as
toon as war comes-if not too soon.
it is a great organization of industry
and resources. I think that l shall
urge Hoover as the head Of the work.
His Belgian experience has made him
the most competent man in this coun-
try for such work. He has promised
to corae to me as one of my assist
ants, but the other work is the larger,
and l can get on with a smaller man.
He will correlate the Industrial life
OF the nation against the day Of dam
ger and immediate need. France
seems to be ahead in this work. the
essentials are To commander all ma
rerial resources of certain kinds
(steel copper. rubber. nickel etc.);
then have ready all drawings ma
chimes etc. necessary in advance for
all munitions and supplies. and know
the plant that can produce these on
standard basis.
The Army and Navy are SO Set and
streotoyped and stand-pat that am
almost hopeless as to moving them
to do the wise. large, wholesale job
They are governed by red tape-worse
than any union.
The chief OF staff fell asleep at our
meeting today-Mars and Morpheus III
one.
Today's meeting has resulted in
nothing, though in Mexico. Cuba
Costa Rica and Europe we have trou-
Bile. The country is growing tired
of delay, and without positive leader
ship is losing its keenness of con-
science and becoming Injured to insult
our ambassador in Ra-,!n : he ny
hostage for days: our consuls' wives
are stripped naked at the border: our
ships are sunk: our people killed;
and Vet we wait and wait! What for
7 do not know. Germany is winning
by her bluff. for she has our ships
interned in our own harbcrs.
WASHINGTON. February 90 t1si.l.
Another cabinet meeting and no
j, light Vet on what our policy will be
as TO Germany. We evidently are
waiting for the overt act" which
think Germany will not commit We
are all, with the exception of one or
TWO pro-Germans, feeling Inundated
bv the situation, but nothing can be
done.
McAdoo brought up the matter Of
shipping being held in our ports. 1t
appears that something more than
half Of the normal number of ships
has gone out since February ]. and
they all seem 10 be getting over the
! firs, scare, because Germany Is not
doing more than her former amount
of damage.
We were told CT intercepted cables 70
the Wolfe News Agency in Berlin. in
which the American people We're rep
resented as being against war I'M
der any circumstances-sym
strongly with a neutrality that would
keep all Americans off the seas. Thus
does the kaiser learn of American
sentiment. No wonder he sizes us up