The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-28
The Lusitania Is Lost

might, indeed, affect "Our influ-
ence for good"
On Sunday, May 9, there arrived
a long and bellicose cable from
Col. House. There should, he
thought, be an immediate demand
upon Germany for assurance
against repetition of the crime
with a threat of war.
A MOTHER letter on the same
L n day urged a different course.
Mr.. Jacob Schiff-the great Jewish
banker, who had one nephew in
the British army and another in
the German-did not see why
America should stand for war of
any sort; he begged the President
to make an earnest effort, using
"the singularly impressive Ian
guage you are capable Of" to
bring both sides to make peace.
Between these two extremes,
Mr.. Bryan was taking a far more
practical view.
Germany" he urged, has a
right 20 rely upon passengers to
protect her from attack"
This pointed toward a common
sense acceptance of the facts and
the arrangement Of the best prac-
ticable moduS vivendi for safe
guarding those Americans who
had real business in the war zone.
Unfortunately that this would
be intensely unpopular was OBJ
viouS from press comment. No
political administration could face
the prospect; in particular Presi-
dent Wilson'S could not, for the
President had bound himself by
that rash declaration that he
would hold the Germans to strict
accountability"
TOR three days the President
l. saw no one except the rather
belligerent McAdoo, who dined at
the White House on Sunday.
He had been scheduled, however,
to address a gathering of newly
naturalized citizens at Phila-
delphia that Monday evening and
the engagement was cancelled.
The now familiar voice rolled on:
America must have the con-
seriousness that on all sides it
touches elbows and touches hearts
with all the nations of mankind.
The example of America must be
a special example and must be an
example not merely of peace be-
cause it will not fight, but be-
cause peace is a healing and ele-
waiting influence Of the world and
strife is not. There is such a
thing as man being too proud
to fight. There is such thing as
nation being so right that it
does not need to convince others
by force that it is right"
The crowd burst into tumultuous
applause and the thousands of
little American flags with which
the new citizens had been provided
fluttered bravely as the famous
phrase universally misquoted ever
Since) was added to the language.
1t was the high moral concept
which the President had pro-
claimed in the first bright days of
his New Diplomacy. The crowd
cheered; but the editors and pa
triots, from their loftier sancta,
regarded this declaration of faith
without enthusiasm. Mr.. Roose-
welt was heavily sarcastic about it
to the reporter.
TN London Col. House, who had
Il gone to war already, first saw
those dreadful words too proud
to fight" on the newsboys' placards
in Piccadilly.
Il feel as though I had been
given a kick at every lamp post
coming down Constitution Hill"
he told Page when he reached the
embassy; and as the British and
French press turned unanimous
ly to load the President with their
bittereSt jibeS and contumely. it
doubtless only confirmed him in
the feeling.
President Wilson had attempted
to bring his countrymen to their
senses. Apparently he now had
his answer. He did not want war
He never fully accepted Houses
naive faith that an American in
tervention would guarantee
peace for the lasting good of
humanity" on the contrary, he
chung with much surer instinct
to the idea that once the United