The Evening Star MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1916.

Evening Star, Issue 16049, 28 February 1916, Page 4

The Evening Star MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1916.

It is difficult to say how much or how .little of the news that is President coining from the United Wilson's States of. America is reliDllemma, able. Part of the price that America, as a nation, has to pay for the reputation of its Press is that the outside world, which,does not too keenly discriminate, even if it knows ■how, between its worthy and unworthy sections views with suspicion much of the news that is transmitted from that country by cable. But there need be no hesitancy in accepting in their main outlines the messages now coming to hand. That President Wilson was bound to be in difficulties with his own party in this year of Presidential campaigning and party riot was obvious to those who follow the progress of public events in the Republic. He could not have avoided them in any event, though, in our judgment, he would have considerably lightened his own inevitable burden had he in tho early days of the Gorman onslaught against liberty and democracy and Christian civilisation made clear to the best among his own countrymen and the world at large what the nation, through its official Head, thought of that foul and inhuman outrage.' No one has ever doubted tho reality of Mr Wilson's detestation, as an individual citizen, of Germany's crime, but the immense majority of thoughtful people have questioned the wisdom of his silence, and regretted, as a result, that lie should have lost what claims he might henceforth have had on moral grounds to an authoritative voice in that congress whereat the Allies will, in the interests of the future of mankind, impose their conditions upon Germany. "The President," said Mr Roosevelt, "has met a policy of blood and iron with " a policy of milk and water. Indecision, " and the treatment of conversation as a "substitute for action, and, above all, "the making of threats which are not "carried into effect, put a premium upon " exactly the form of anarchy and conspiracy of which the President com- " plains." To-day, and from now on until the voice of the electors is made known in the early days of November next, the President will be harried with conflicting claims and demands from the members of his own party, as well as be assailed, with much vigor and some odium, by his regular political opponents. Mr Wilson, most probably, was acting in harmony with the sentiments of the majority of the rank and file, whether Republican or Democratic, pro-German or anti-British, when he declared for a strict neutrality. The American people did not and do not want war; they -want, to continixe iriiikiiig moneVj and. in their opinion the only alternative to war was to acquiesce in the President's policy. They did not want either denunciations of Germany over the sack of Belgium or a breach of relations over the Lusitania assassinations. The men and women who did protest against the President's attitude were the intellectual and educated classes, and these in America, as else■where, are oiot in a majority. This rimy nob appeal to us aa a very noblo attitude no? a very inspiring policy, bub it was that of great numbers of Americans, particularly among the industrial and political classes. And it was thought by active members of the great historical parties, more especially as this is the Presidential year, that it was also that of the President. The interest of the crisis, if crisis be not too serious a term by which to describe the present tension, is that Mr Wilson has made it quite plain that it is not his attitude at all. The President s.t this most trying period in his own political caieer appears to have let it be known, beyond cavil or dispute, that he is not a ptace-at-any-priee man, that he does not piopose to submit to German dictation, and that he will not in the interests of his own prospects or party, and in deference to the exigencies of the political situation and demands of the party managers, tell American citizens that if they would run no risks th-ey must not travel by certain steamships, as tho Government of their country can give them no guarantee of protection against disaster nor promise them and theirs any redress. " To do this," says Mr Wilson, " would be for America "to surrender her independency among the "nations of the yyorlcl." That Mr Wilson's pronouncement was unexpected and has caused a sensation among the politicians w-e can believe; that he expresses sentiments that his former Secretary of State, Mr William Jennings Bryan, will deeply disapprove, and most other- patriotic citizens as strongly approve, wo also believe; but that lie will press his declaration to its logical outcome we are not so certain. The position, from the American President's standpoint, is unquestionably serious. And for this reason: Germany, whatever her Ambassador jit Washington may promise to the contrary, is determined to sink and kill everything in sight. She will spare neither ingoing nor outgoing- vessels. All alike are to'. be fair game for the mine, tho torpedo, and "the airship; and the more ruthless and horrible the method and surrounding circumstances of their destruction tho better. If men and women and children go down to the depths or are blown to pieces, so much the sooner will hated England come to reason and confess she ia beaten. A Government that will decorate with, an Iron Gross the "hero" whose "deathless deed in drop"ping bombs on Ramsgate astonished the " whole of England " is a, Government that will persist to the end in every act of known and unknown devilry. Germany believes that her air raids and submarine attacks will yet bring the Allies to their knees; therefore, they will bo prosecuted at every opportunity. Nothing that Count Bernstorff may promise, nothing that President Wilson may accept, will change Germany's policy of indiscriminate assassinations on the sea bv onejot or tittle. Outgoing passenger steamers like the Maloja will not cease to be regarded as fair targets, preferably by way of the mine—as this is attended with, less risk to the attackers, and leavesi loopholes of escape against possible subsequent written protests—and coastal watering places and inland towns will continue to be called upon to pay then.- tribute of mangled women and babies. We shall not attempt to predict what President Wilson may decide to do, hut the! statement that "German pressure" in the United States

Senate may Induce -the United States senator who happens to be chairman of tho Senate's Foreign Committee to "break" with the President of tho United States. or to save the situation by the production of one of Count Bernstorff'o reassuring Notes, compels notice of a situation that to a loyal American must be ai> humiliating as it is significant.