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Show A MISUNDERSTANDING. Because of a dispatch received iu Berlin from Washington to the effect that President Wilson had consented to an amendment to the ship purchase bill, providing that no vet-?I should be bought by the United States if such purchase would lead to a conflict with any of the belligerent powers, German newspapers unite in calling this a backdown back-down before Great Britain. It is not to be presumed that the Germao editors edi-tors are wilfully misrepresenting the situation with regard to the shipping bill. It is mrely a misunderstanding. Their criticisms will appear grotsuue to all Americans, even to our German fellow-citizens. It is well known that President Wilson Wil-son stood by his shipping bill until it became practically certain that the opposition op-position in the senate wpuld not permit it to pass in its original form. If a backdown has occurred it is a backdown before tho opposition in the cenato, and not before Great Britain. It in a compromise with political opponents in the hope that the Bhipping bill can be passed in some practical form. |