THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1917. AMERICA'S INDECISION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16498, 26 March 1917, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1917. AMERICA'S INDECISION.

America is again at the cross-roads.■ Piesident, ; congress, and people . appear to be agreed that there must bo war ..with ■ Germany, but there: is wide divergence of ' opinion ;' as ; to whether it is to be a war for the ideals of a free people or a war for the protection :of ' • American ■ commerce. American ships are being sunk, but, although America'. has ceased to find solace in threats from Washington and explanations from Berlin, the Government fails to act. The immediate cause of this inaction i«. stated—no doubt truly— be lack of preparation. Mr. Wilson pointed a gun at Germany, but it was not loaded. In the past two years he has stumbled blindly towards war without making adequate preparations even for the war in defence of American rights at sea, which all now seem to regard as the least of the steps that America can take if she is to maintain her selfrespect and her place among the nations. But behind the immediate need of men and guns there is indecision, duo to the • absence of any clear publio conception of the cause for which America would enter the war. i

Reference has been made in the cablegrams to Mr. Roosevelt and tho Mayor of New York advocating the sending of an expeditionary force to Europe. This course is uiged by the large numbers of Americans who for over two years have held that the Allies are waging no selfish war, but are fighting for the freedom of the world. They claim that America can only be true to herself by taking the heroic path. On the other Bide have been Mr. Wilson and his great following, whose ambition has been neutrality at all costs. Now thai neutrality has failed the new problem has arisen—shall America fight alone for her own ends or with tho Allies for the peace and good government of the world? This controversy has emphasised the lack of guidance which has been the outstanding feature of Mr. Wilson's control of foreign affairs. At' the outset he was determined to hold America clear of European entanglements} he closed with an offer to co-operate in -keeping the peace " with every influence and resource at, America's command" if only the belligerents would close the present war.; In his Peace Note of December he adopted the programme of the League to' Enforce ; Peace, but in this he has failed to carry with him many of his own supporters and particularly the Democratic members the Senate. : The Senate refused to fully endorse the Note. 4 It was held during;; the -.' Senate debate f that lin offering America's "influence and resource" to keep the peace rafter the war Mr. Wilson was abandoning the Monroe Doctrine and precipitating the United States into ; the politi- , cal ; complications : r . and alliances- t of Europe. .. For this reason! the Senate gave ; no general approval '■ of the President's .-action,': ..but:; confined itself to an endorsement of his request to the v belligerents to 'state their terms of peace,'.- It will thus be ••; seen that the : ; Senate stands firmly on the ground; that Mr. Wilson ; took at the beginning of the war: ..-frit,! will sanction' no *§ step, present or prospective, ■ that involves America in ',; European politics. A; cablegram published; to-day says the consensus of opinion in the Cabinet is in the.! same direction. Against this there is the view -that the Allies are fighting for law and justice and even „ for the United 1 States, for American thinkers ':', clearly realise and frankly admit that the. Monroe Doctrine ' has been maintained not by any/ action of America, ; but ;by the strength of the British/Navy.'; : It is in support' of ■ this! latter contention that America! is being urged to give whole-hearted ? support to the Allies in whatever field America can. best help. : - ; ''- ; .A:^; : v'; '| : .V ''■'■Msp'.-'%-

J: Meantime: Mr. Wilson has taken refuge in silence;-' From his record we may conclude that f he.will ; not willingly support the Bending of; an expeditionary force to Europe. If America is finally compelled to fight, he will in :; all probability • cast i his weight in favour of a limited war at sea,for the protection of American lives and American commerce. "\ Such a war, it would seem, '<■ cannot be avoided,;. but '■;, it '. may; be; that \ Mr.; Wilson has not \ even 'i yet abandoned all hope of .an understanding with Germany. '-. There is still the British Navy..; It '''is now , protecting commerce on the high seas, neutral as well as belligerent, American as well as British. America is preparing, but Britain is fighting. The submarine menace is being met. The measures taken against it may possibly prove so effective that- Germany will decide to compromise with the United States. , Such a compromise can only be reached in the event of Germany realising that ruthless submarining is unprofitable. Li all other circumstances it would seem that America must ultimately take the step which Mr. Wilson has i striven so hard to avoid.