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

cans were with wilson IN CnOS0
days. The campaign OF 1912, the
Roosevelt campaign itself, had con-
verted us to a philosophy which
made us follow Wilson in the
foreign policy so far as 1t had been
developed in 1915.
Demand for Action.
When 1915 opened, it was evil
dent that the European war was no
more passing episode in Europe, and
that it threatened to become epoch
making in it's significance. The par
tisans Of war on both sides Of the
controversy in America became more
and more vocal in their demand for
our active. participation, but also
it was obvious that these partisans
were minority groups.
The word propaganda" became
the answer to the contentious Of
many would-be American belliger-
ents. Difficulties with Germany,
which arose early in 1915, made it
apparent that Senator Stone, chair
man OF the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, was as widely removed in
sympathy from the Presidents at
titude as was Colonel Roosevelt;
| though Stone seemed to be favor.
ing the position OF the central
| powers and Roosevelt clearly was
sympathetic with the contention of
| the allies. In taking that first po-
sition of a neutral demanding the
| freedom Of the seas, we had forced
ourselves several degrees farther
into the whirlpool than we could
have realized in the beginning of
the war. Yet that position was
inevitable to a man Of President
Wilson's temperament, training,
and belief.
In February, 1915, the German
| government seems to have decided
upon a departure from the rules of
international law in retaliating
against the British restriction upon
neutral commerce. For the German
admiralty proclaimed a war zons
about the British Isles and warned
neutrals OF their oanger therein
making it plain by mid February
that the German submarines in.
tended to destroy every merchant
vessel found In the war zone with.
out, making provision for the safety
OF crews or passengers. British
vessels carried neutral flags. The
submarines, in the nature Of
things, could not visit and search a
neutral ship to make sure Of its
identity. But must sink without
warning any vessel found there
Here was q new question.
Force was meeting reason with
contempt. The Wilson philoso-
ply was thus put to its first prac
teal test; its test as a practicable
creed in time Of war; is test in
the hearts of the American people
Those were hard days for Wood
row Wilson.
Even in tranquil times there is
an impact of responsibility, q
weight Of conflicting opinion upon
the White House, which is sure to
put askew the vision OF the clear
est.sighted man in the world. No
one escapes 1t. American PreSi
dents cannot see with the Ameri
can people. They can only guess
cipher, and hope when they deal
with public opinion as a guide Tor
presidential conduct.
OF course, no President can ig
more public opinion; that also ia
one of the major curses Of the
White House. Public opinion comes
through newspapers, through Con
gressmen, through petitions, through
letters, through friends, seeping in
from every external crevice.
In those winter days OF 1915
when the Germans had snapped
their fingers at our American phi
losophy of sweetness and light
public opinion boiled and swirled
and roared like a maelStrom. And
we must not forget that from the
bottom of his Irish heart always
the motive which most surely
moved Woodrow Wilson was the
love Of his kind.
The austere Woodrows who made
him punctual at the White House
meals, who made him implacable
before those who personally dis
agreed with him, as he felt unfair
ly: the austere Woodrows who di
rected his brain and controlled his
mind, had no entrance to his heart
That was from the Irish Celts, al
ways yearIiing for affection, always
eager for agreement.
In the great storm that beat
upon the White House, a cyclone
that twisted both ways. from the
allies and from the Germans, out
of a land saturated with propa.
ganda, President Wilson held his
course. Never once in those days
did he stray from the fold of Cal
vim, and idealist couchant. Roose'
welt was a militarist rampant
while Senator Stone, chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mite. an opportunist with a Ger
man constituency, crawled rathe:
craftily around the picture on the
shield. The President declared in
note to the German government
that 1t would be held to a strict
accountability for the acts Of itG
naval authorities" And on the
same day he protested to Great
Britain against the use Of an Amer
lean flag on a British vessel in the
war zone.
The Absence Of Dramatization.
Two years later, after the United
States entered the war, the differ
ence between the two men. Roose
welt and Wilson, was again mani
fest-rnuch more so now than al
any other time before.
The country would have been
: glad to see Colonel Roosevelt go
overseas in command of troops.
Colonel Roosevelt, in an almost un.
dignified passion to serve, all but
begged for the chance. The cold
face that Woodrow Wilson turned
to West at Princeton met Roose.
velts plea in Washington. General