AMERICA AND THE WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11757, 22 July 1916, Page 7

AMERICA AND THE WAR.

Ever since the outbreak of the war, but particularly sinco the commencement of Germany's indiscriminate submarine campaign, in which the ships of all nations, neutral or otherwise, have boon scut to the bottom without remorse, many Britishers and colonials have maintained that President Wilson's' attitude has been that of a recreant coward; that by his refusal to fight a nation which had committed indescribable outrages —a nation which lua l trampled under foot solemn treaty obligations—was unworthy of the position which he held, tho inference being that in taking up the attitude ho did, the President did not reflect the feelings of tho vast nation over which ho pi'os drd. In strong contrast to tbe attitude taken up by President Wilson, was that of e~-Presidcnt Roosevelt, who, in season and out of season, declared that America was being dis--grncd by the ineptitude and weakness of the President ; that the Great Itepub'ic' should have intervened when Germany invaded Belgium, since the United States was a party to the treaty which guaranteed the independence nf that country. _ Aga'n, when the submarine campaign startled the world, jMr Roosevelt, in fiambuoyant news•i paper articles and in sensational ' speeches, showing little of the restraint usually associated with the utterances of statesmen, spurred his countrymen t) join in the fieht to put an end to tho German menace and secure tho peace of tho world. Whether Mr Roosevelt would have acted in the manner winch he advonted if he had occupied the Hcuxo is, of course, another' question. But Mr Roosevelt's bellicose eloouence left Mr Wilson undisturbed, as -did also file Press campaign, which, it is shrewdly suspected, was stimulated bv the funds provided by irterepted parties. It should bo mentioned that the responsible leaders of the Allies have never indicated that they were disappointed with America's attitude. In the colonies the fulminations against what has been described as Mr Wilson's "spineless policy" have been numerous, but it nuist he confessed that the great' majority of these were "not inspired by any particular knowledge of the internal workings of the Governmental machine in the United States. Mr Frederic Coleman, the level-headed and well-informed journalist who visited New Zealand a few weeks ago, although a strong political adherent of Mr Roosevelt, stated qyite frankly that the President had dealt with the difficult problems with which he had been confronted in a thoroughly practical manner, a manner which reflected the, opinion of the country over which he ruled. He added that, although the feeling in the United States was strongly pro-Allj*—a feeling that was gaining momentum every day—President Wilson would have committed a grave mistake had he six months ago brought ab'iut a rupture with Germany—a grave mistake inasmuch as he would not have had the country with him. He pointed out that in the Middle West the people Izved in a region that \ras largely self contained—they did not bother themselves concerning the outside' world, being content to let the countries beyond the seas manage their owe affairs without any interference on their part—and the bulk of these

people Tvere strongly averse to implications with European countries. As time passed the position was becoming less obscure to these .people, they were beginning to realise that great decisions ; could not be arrived at even in far countries without indirectly affecting them, but there waß still a strong feeling against' joining in the fray. - The large German element in tha States is a disturbing factor, but as Mr Coleman stated that the sympathy existing between these and their compatriots in the Fatherland was weak, the great bulk of the Germans in America having; left their native country because they were dissatisfied with the conditions existing there, and on account of their aversion to the restrictive laws which curtailed their liberty of action in almost every direction. Recently the London " Daily Chronicle " dealt exhaustively with the question in its leading columns, commenting specially on President Wilson's foreign policy, in which his detractors were severely taken to task for theii unfair criticisms of a man, who, occupying an extremely difficult position, was striving to steer the ship of State in a course that wa3 best calculated to serve his own country and incidentally those nations which were making such colossal sacrifices to break down tfie German menace against the free dom of the world. The editorial is ns follows, and is. certainly worthy of careful persual at the present time:— "It is understood that tho President of theu United States is now preparing a remonstrance to the Central Powers against their inhumane submarine policy. Germany, as usual, is pursuing tortuous diplomatic methods, striving to adopt a course which would not further humiliate ' her in the eves of the world, and at the same 1 time not lose her the American good"In the future tho United States has further accounts to settle in regard to atrocities for which ample apology or other reparation has not " been given. In the meantime, the German-Americans employ every kind of underhand device in the hone of creating prejudice agaiust Great Britain and causing, if possible, friction and misunderstanding between us and the United States. •'"While it is notorious that American .public opinion is overwhelmingly ; on the side of the Allies, who are fighting the battle of democracy, and safeguarding humanity from barbarism, there is a section of the British Press that is not treating the United States strictiv as a neutral Power. The attitude of our Press on the whole has been' considerate and correct toward the smaller neutrals, such as Holland and the Scandinavian countries, and also to Italy before that country, be- " came an - Ally. The same cannot be said of the attitude toward the united States. Our Government, as dispatches and speeches by Ministers show, has i shown all due consideration to the interest and susceptibilities of tho United States consistent wich maintaining our 3-ights as a belligerent and reaping the fruits of our predominance in sea power, but many of our newspapers have not followed its example, ii'.ov have not only been seveielv critical vi Piesiduit 'Wilson and his policy, but have trenud the United ~t;'.:s a.> if they were one oi the famiij " ine two Engl'sh-spenking nations arc naturally inclined to adojt a tone o r frankness in discussing each other's ufi'air.s without any idea of causing 01-Vnee, but that does not exeusei the 1; it of appreciation of president AVil-diH-eulties and of his policy during tho war. " Some oi' our writers even go to tlu length of toUirscr him what he ought t-f " do. We notice that a pepuhi American magazine contains a svmpo sium giving tlie reasons of English writers why America shculcJ come into the war This is a piece of gratuitous in prrtiirnce. "Wo have no business to advise ' America is what line of policv they should pursue, nur is it that.

PRESIDENT WILS3WS ATTITUDE.

BRITISH CRITIC REBUKES DETRACTORS

wo sheuld treat tho head of that great nation in a way which might bo interpreted as being unfriendly. g o may be sure that tho enemy t will take advantage of every indiscre-' ' tion which we commit and of every tactless move we make, in order that s they may strengthen their poisonous propaganda among the American - people t " President Wilson occupies what is I apparently the unenviablo position of i satisfying neither side—the thankless P role' of the neutral who aims at beimpartial. Tho Germans do not hesitato to attribute their failure to 7 > secure a general victory to the aititudo > fif tho United States. Comments in - their newspapers, and patricularly 3 their cartoons, show almost as great j hatred of the Americans as of tho 1 British. , " Am-erica has objected to the. Ger- - mail submarine policy, while they say she has permitted Great Britain to i develop new methods of blockade by - the exercise of sea power. On the i other hand, Great Britain and her Allies have been permitted to draw unr limited; supplies .of munitions from f America, including submarines sent to - Canada in parts, they have been eni abled to float a loan oii the Ameri- " can market and have been generally ' regarded as friends, while the Central '' Powers have been looked upoii as ' enemies. 1 " America ' has put up with all the' , irritation arising from British interfer- ' ences with commerce and with the loss | incurred by the bringing of American , cargoes before prize* courts. "Our censorship of American. news , has been .tolerated, even when it was no less than indefensible. This trend of American opinion has been gradual 1 and progressive. It has kept prce with • the ever-lengthening series of German atror' + ies in the war, it has been hard- . ened by the duplicities of German diplo-n-pcy. It has been embittered by .the and provocative activity of a section of German-America,ns who have been the accomplices of the German and Austrian Embassies in committing outrages, creating riots and almost instigating civil war in Ame-r-ca. "The personal position of the Pre- • sident has been one o f exceptional difficulty. 'He has incurred tho bitter and relentless hatred of all German- ■ Americans. Besides thei hostility of tlrs class and the defection of the Bryan Democrats, he has put up with the; powerful opposition of the moneyed interests. , , . "First, there are the great German . bankers and .'their friends in industry. They are against him because they consider that he is too pro-Ally. Then there are the other... financial houses and moneyed interests who-are against him ostensiblv on the ground that he is not pro-Ally enough, but really because his domestic policy is against the interests of the wealthy classes. "Mr Wilson is the standard bearer of a great movement. The mass of sane public opinion in-, the. United States and the mass of thmking people, who are now silent, are suporting his policy, but most ox the influentiaj American newspapers which, happen to be read in England are against him. Some of tliem, who are "against him because they stand for certain interests, put their attacks on the ground that he has

not shown more partiality toward the Allies. Others attack him inoro parti-, cularly because he is not in favour of a bigger military programme.. . , "The Press of America in this matter enjoys a. freedom which our newsshould not emulate. Tho Presiattitude in face of them all alike is oiie qf quiet disdain and of indifference to what people say about him, whether in, America or, abroad. He has had to face more obloquy than almost aDy man who has filled the position, but he b&lieves that he. is pursuing the right policy to safeguard tho interests of his nation. ''The .basis of that policy is the maintenance of treaty obligations and international laws, . and behind it all there is a strong feeling against the domination of democracy by militarism. If the • British Press and public took a little more trouble to understand him And were more conscious of the impolicy and absurdity of lecturing the gieat Republic on what its President ought to do, it would be much to the advantage of the Anglo-American future, and after all, that future must, in any reckoning be a-largo part of the future of the world."