Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-03
PARTISAN STRIFE DURING WAR
ADDED GREATLY TO BURDEN
ON SHOULDERS OF WILSON

| question the activities of the naval
! command. TO HIM the uniform was
| other than loyal to the best interests
of the government irrespective OF
| party. Men like General EnOCh
| CroWder, who had administered the
selectlve Graft act and General Pey'
! ton March, who was chief of staff
| in Washington, can testify to the
free hand given them in the dis
| charge of their duties. 1t was a
| policy that helped to win the wal
though it brought about plenty of
friction between the executive and
| congress.
The maneuvers of the Republicans
! in 1918 provoked President Wilson tc
! issue an appeal for a Democratic
| congress. Although Mr.. Wilson out
| lined his famous fourteen points III
| January 1918, no dissent WAS heard
! in congress. Senator Lodge did not
| express his opposition until the fol
| lowing August when he made a
| speech in the senate which Mr.. VIII
son feared would give the iL-preS
sion abroad of disunity in American
| councils. On Septe "lber u, Repre-
sentative L. II. Gillett, acting floor
! leader for the Republicans, made l
| speech to the house insisting tina!
| q Republican congress should be
elected. Representative Tess, OF
| Ohio, in accepting on the same day
| the craftsmanship of the Republican
! congressional campaign committee,
! announced his purpose to work for
| the election of a Republican con
eress. On October %, the two former
| presidents of the United States, Taft
and Roosevelt both Republicans unit.
ed in a joint appeal to the voters
of the state of Michigan to supporJ
| Truman II. NeWberry, who was the
| Republican nominee for the United
| States senate in opposition to Henry
! Ford, who was then running on the
Democratic ticket.
| Then former President Roosevelt
: sent an identical telegram to Sena
tors Lodge, PoindeXter and Hiram
Johnson, which was published on
the morning of October %. Mr.
| Roosevelt said:
81 earnestly hope that on behalf
of the American people the senate
will declare against the adoption in
their entirety of the fourteen points
| of President Wilson's address of
last January as offering a basis for
a peace satisfactory to the United
States"
n Leadership CLa ed
The Colonel added that the four
teen points were Thoroughly mis-
chievous" and If made the basis OF
a peace" such a peace would rep
resent not the unconditional surren-
der of Germany but the conditional
surrender of the United States.
President Wilson regarded tLis as
a challenge to his leadership. The
Germans had already appealed foc
|. peace and on October II had
promised that the fourteen points
would be accepted as a basis for
peace discussion. Under the circum
stances the Roosevelt kilograms a%'
graVated Mr.. Wilson and made MN
aDDrehensiVe that he could not eX
poet support from the Republicans
in making peace. The next day, Oc'
tober %, he issued his appeal TO the
American people for a Democrats
congress to support his peace pro
gram.
Mr.. Wilson was accused during the
months of September and October
of getting ready to make a soft
peace" and his political opponents
encouraged the formation of I'm
conditional Surrender Clubs
|. throughout the country. These clubs
were superfluOus to all who knew
tie facts, for President Wilson had
placed entire confidence in Marshal
Foch. communicating chief of the Al
lied armies who was to fix the mill
trrv terms of the truce. MI. Wilson
die not attempt to participate IN the
making of the armistice terms by
the naval and military nigh com
n1and of the allied forces. 1t was nor
he who suggested that his preVlou:
addresses Should be made the basis
Of peace negotiations. Germany
chose thar course. And the allies
with proper reservations accepted
: the German peace proposal and the
armistiCe was duly signed
The approach of the end had been
sensed in America. Indeed, Mr..
Wilson for several months had been
giving attention to the questions
that would arise at the peace table
and had expected that Colonel
House, who went abroad during I9lt,
would assist in the arrangements for
peace.
Mr.. Wilson anticipated political
opposition to his peace program. Al
though he was partisan enough to
wish to see the Democratic party
continued in power, he was desilous,
on the other hand, of winning . VCie
of confidence so that he might so to
the peace conference with the united
support of the nation behind him.
Mr. Wilson's appeal for a Democr& tic
congress, made in October, 1918. was
4 shock to many Republicans who
declined to read the text of what Mr..
Wilson had said in his appeal but
simply accepted the inference. in
short as meaning that he Gid not
credit the Republicans with their
proper share in winning the war.
The president had said explicitly that
he did not question the patriotism Of
his opponents. This was lost, how
ever, in the wave of criticism and de-
feat which followed his appeal for 4
Democratic congress.
But if Woodrow Wilson had his
troubles on this side of the Atlantic
with the national politicians, re had
even more sources of wOrrY with the
international politicians. All through
the war, President wilson h&d
sought in vain to get explicit agree
ment on the war aims Of he allied
and associated powers. EXCEPT for
the vague general phrases which
served their purpose in ri sing TIE
hopes of The German people as well
as the hopes Of the allied countries