The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-02

| q tariff COMMISSION Wh4CH SAOuAU
revise the tariff after considering
the cost Of production in other
| countries; a remodeled currency
that would insure against panics;
the initiative, the referendum, and
the recall, and the direct primary
which would place government
more directly in the hands OF the
voter; the direct election OF United
States Senators; and the income
Tax.
The New Freedom as defined by
Woodrow Wilson largely took this
program. But the New Freedom
| held that the program should be
contaminated. not by a strongly
Centralized government, but through
| Jeffersonian methods in the several
States and communities as might
be worked out by the genius OF
| the people.
Between the New Nationalism
and the New Freedom was that
| fantastic imaginary gulf that al
dunn and tweedle-dee. The aston
| lishingy large vote for Roosevelt
indicated a liberal sentiment in
| side the Republican party which
was Enthusiastically a majority OF
/ the party voters. That Wilson
also received q large vote for Pres
ident, and enough presidential cleo
tors to elect him, might or might
not mean that the Democratic party
was committed to the idea OF hb-
eralism.
Further Divergence.
/ At the outbreak of the war the
divergence between the modes OF
action of Roosevelt and Wilson
was even more marked.
First of all, Wilson's proclama-
ton Of neutrality came as an Of
Tense to these American sympa-
thizers with the belligerents. His
. refusal to protest upon the in
vasion Of Belgium made a sharp
division Of public opinion in this
country. Two courses lay before
him, and each course had its adj
herents In the clamor of the press
and the obvious convictions Of the
people; though this clamor and
i these obvious convictions.e became
much more conspicuous year at.
ter the fact.
I At the time, the Presidents
course was not seriously criticized
in responsible quarters. But at that
|
he stood before a commission from
Belgium asking for the protest, the
President showed the way in which
he walked until the end Of his
career. indeed, the way in which
he was ordained from the beginning
; to walk.
He was, in his foreign policy,
showing forth in works the Cal
vinism which impregnated his soul.
Perhaps ii may best serve to de-
fine the two courses that parted
there in September, 1914, before that
Belgian commission by imperson-
ating the alternatives.
One was the Roosevelt way, the
ether Wilson's. Doubtless the
Rooseveltian way would have been
to issue the protest, to show force,
to make it appear definitely that
American public opinion was out
ragged and that the only satisfaction
which that outrage could feel would
be in the whack of the big stick.
There are no Ifs" in history, but
one has a right to guess that this
swish of the big stick in the autumn
air that year in the beginning OF
the war would have brought Ger
many to a. realization Of her isola-
ton in the world and its danger.
It might have been wise to walk
down that branch of the cross
roads. But Wilson could not walk
There. His faith in the ultimate
triumph of reason az the Will OF
God moved the greatest events In
the world in those early days or the
way.
Early Part Of War.
Within two weeks Of the out
break Of the war, the United States
Senate had ratified treaties with
eighteen countries providing Tor
commissions of inquiry to precede
war. BY September is, Great Brit
ain, France, Spain. and China had
signed such treaties and Secretary
Bryan was urging Russia, Germany
and Austria to join with US in SINH
lar treaties. It was then that Pres
ident Wilson first proposed to Ger
many that he start negotiations
looking to peace under the auspices
Of our Government. The brusque
answer Of Germany closed that ave-
nue.. In October, it was evident
that the United States proposal Tor
the general acceptance OF the Dec
laration of London would be tenta
lively accepted by Germany and
Austria Hungary, but could not be
adopted because Great Britain had
: toe strongly qualified the condi
s items. After that, America fell back
Z upon the accepted rules Of interna
tional law and the treaties with the
belligerent powers, reserving the
right to protest, q right which was
used until it broke.
II is we'll to remember that our
frs: clash I'm The war was with
Great Britain. We entered gen
eral protest to Great Britain against
the British naval policy toware
neutral shipping. In President VII
sons message to Congress in DE
cember of that year, we fin1 nc
hint of a conviction. even II ne mac
on". that America was moving ever
slowly in the whirlpool that was
drawing the world to war.
He asked for the same shipping
bill that he had Endorsed earlier II
his Administration, against suggest
ed a larger measure of self-govern
ment for the Philippines, and had
no harsh words for Mexico. He wa'
u the most serene pacifist viewing the
Il premonitory tremblings OF a ma
: iterial earthquake. But as a matter