| Show I AROUSED AT LAST I PRESIDENT RESIDENT WILSONS WILSON'S conversion con to tho the necessity for Improved means of ot national defense does not necessarily imply the tho worst from German Ger Ger- man many That nation Is not alone alono in Its aggravating indifference to tho the rights of neutrals There are others to whom Uncle Sam will be impelled to speak sharply before peace succeeds eds war How different would be bo tho the Amerlean AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican lean position If It for forwar forwar forwar war and unwillingness for It had not so 50 obviously been our condition How different would have been the treatment treatment treat treat- ment accorded Americans and American AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican commerce by both the leading belligerents had we been prepared for tor national defense and our willingness to use usa those man man- manifest manIfest manifest A American eric n pr prestige abroad ha has been steadily decre decreasing hig Ince Since tho the present national administration began Mr Wilson made it clear from the be beginning beginning beginning be- be ginning that he was a a. that he could not conceive of ot a glorious war or an inglorious peace and that he felt the supreme benefit he ho could confer upon his countrymen would be bo to hold them Immune from the horrors of ot war without reference to the possibility of ot greater reater horrors of peace Wl What at Mr Wilson loft unsaid Mr Bryan obligingly and insistently said for him apparently with the Presidents President's approval or at least without without without with with- out his expressed disapproval I i In an international situation where tho ho chief bulwarks of civilization had reverted to the primitive and to barbarism bar- bar arism our position was Yas of or tho the worst When might succeeded right one year ago igo in the very cradle of ot I Europe's modernity our practical disappearance from tho the international council table was the only possible course that re- re re re- We had no might ht at our command and our representatives In the he the nations nation's greatest offices perpetually perpetual perpetual- ly declared their disinclination to use Ule might oven If It we enjoyed it ft We Wo lacked tho the capability to speak the only language c to which the warring powers would listen and they felt assured from the tho tenor of official Americas America's remarks and statements that we gloried In that unhappy condition As a natural consequence ence treed freedom om of the seas has disappeared American American Amer Amer- ican goods good can travel the high seas even to neutral countries only at the sufferance of or Great Britain and Amer Amor AmerIcan ican lean citizens are calmly told by Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger Ger- many that they have hae no rights on the oc ocean an lanes that Germany need respect To so BO sada sad a Do caso case have mili mill- tary and idealistic piffle brought the American people that our protests have have- lacked oven even moral force To To tho the observant nt American merican whose emotions are a curious admixture of ot sadness and disgust Mr Wilsons Wilson's belated belated be be- awakening to the gravity of or the tho situation comes with surprised ed encouragement Tho The announcement announcement that ho will cont confer r with tho the Secretary of or War Var and th the Secretary of ot the Navy to procure Information on n which he ho can formulate a fair reasonable and practical program of at national de- de ls the most important and unquestionably tho the most attractive In inu II u useful possibilities we have havo heard from the White 1 House since ho he first firs entered It Jt Democratic unfriendliness towards the tho arm army and tho the navy lia has hns been so 80 lon long a a. characteristic of ot that tha party part that any change however slight Is gratifying |
