The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1916. AMERICA'S ATTITUDE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 53, 8 February 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1916. AMERICA'S ATTITUDE.

America’s attitude on many matters since Germany threw the world into this war of frightfulness is more than puzzling, and the Government's astounding indifference to cool affronts at the hands of the Germans almost passes belief. The assumption of late that Mr Wilson wishes to warn Germany that American patience is iiot inexhaustible is all very well, but it is not likely that America will do anything, even if she were able to back up her rather feeble threats. In his message to Congress in December last, President Woodrow Wilson strongly denounced the criminal activities of certain “citizens of the United States born under other flags,” and was very loud in his condemnation of Americans who could conspire against the'country of their citizenship. He went an to declare that every American should “keep the scales of justice even and prove himself a partisan of no nation but his own.” “We stood apart,” he said. “It was our manifest duty to do so.” Americans, he went on to say, “have no part or interest in the policies which seem to have brought the conflict on.” This describes an America, as one English critic puts it. which has “no part or interest in the tyrannical suppression of the tiny State of .Serbia, no part or interest in the violation of the solemn pledge to respect the integrity of Belgium, no part or interest in the long preparations for setting at naught everything that stands for the sanctity of international good faith on which the relations of the various peoples were gradually being established and on which the hopes for the future of mankind depended.” This attitude it deeply resented, no doubt, by such men as Mr Theodore Roosevelt and those who, with him. see beyond the present day and realise what America’s fate would he with Germany victorious in the conflict". The piled up horrors which have culminated in the destruction by fire of the Parliament buildings at Ottawa seem to have had little effect on the American Government. Proved conspirator in outrage and crime though he has long been, Count Bernstorff still remains an acceptable Ambassador to the 1 nited States, and despite mncli talk the threatened “breach” with Germany is not likely to occur.