The times., 1898-11-05
REAL CAUSE OF o. THE EAR|
pen Women's,e Say the News
papers Ar&ssResponsible.
BELVA LOCKWOOD TALKS
so-Called Yefiow; Journaifsm scath-
ingIy Denounced The Press Ac-
cused Of Many sinA-Great Love for
the spanfsh-LiitTe Concern for the
cnbans-Edftorr Are a Had Set.

The four score "pen women who form
what is known as the woman.s National
Press Association gathered together In
parIor at Wizards Hotel last night and.
after a little preliminary gossip. proceeI-
ed to Manilaize the, American press and
all things pertaining shereto.
The engagement was short and sharp
The secondary batteries were used with
good effect, but ii was not until the main
guns were turned upon the wrigg Ing
press that the latter struck colors and
gave up the ghost.
The occasion was announced as an open
meeting, and was called for the purpose
of hearing Mrs. Bema Lockwood discuss
the subject. How Far Was Yellow Jour
nalism Responsible for the Recent War;"
As the ..pen women" who compose the
membership of the Womans National
Press Association have little active work.
ing connection whatever with the press
of the country, and as they have never
experienced the honeyed delights of
war SCOOP they succeeded admirably in
attributing everything from the loss OF
the Maine to the Alger camp horrors to
the direct work of the press OF this couh-
try.
The audience was composed entirely OF
elderly women. II there be any young
pen women in the association they re-
manned at home last night.
Mrs. Lockwood was attired in bright
yellow gown which though painful IN
its strength Of coloring, lent force to Inc
sneakers remarks at such times as THESE
remarks touched upon Journalism
Mrs. Lockwood opened the engagement
by letting fly a thirteen-ineh question:
what caused the war between the
United States and Spain?' and answered
it with a dynamite shell, THE 1ress.
"Ah." said the speaker. had there been
no press there would have been no war
| This was delivered with sighs that the
press unfortunately had been-and still Is.
THE newspapers OF this country began
the strife They cursed the Spaniards,
called them dogs towards brutes. thieves.
They insulted the land which gave US
| Columbus. Cervantes., and Wey'er Ihen
they coddled the Cuban lJuntas and print
ed everything the cubsns had 10 say
while they efused the Span.ards space .or
anything but vile terms.
There was no need of the late war.
and but for the press Il would neve- have
blackened the pages OF our history. There
was nothing but what could have been
settled By peaceful measures, by the Presi7
dent and MS Cabinet, Yet there were
legislators who burned for glory and
longed for fight, and these. egged on by
the press which printed all Of their wild
uttersnces brought about declaration
| of war. -r
Then we forgot ,ouE civilization, and
| from reading the papers we thought IL
| would be glorious TO Butcher our fellow
| ,tfhi Srsaf ISL
| The papers continually piled the terrible
| fuel on the flame, until fye-yearold chill
| dren were impresnated with the desire to
| kill. and ran about the streets stoning
| everything which bore any relation to
| Spain.
Did not the press denoupce the Moth
ers' Congress for sending letter of con-
| dolence TO the Queen of Spain? Was not
the president of the Peace Society ma
ligned and burnt in effigy by the press?
| The Spanish ambassador was maltreated
and driven out by the press.
Then the papers began to yell Cuba
| Libre' This was the slogan they used
| to acquire territory. They We're filled
with liberty and equality and other
glorious terms which were used by them
| to kill the Monroe doctrine The Maine
was not the cause OF the war. The papers
were. and when our volunteers grew jeal-
| Gus of those who had had chance to
fight the press crowed over our lack of
| civilization.
1.-The press is to blame for the camp
horrors. Did not the papers egg the peo-
pie on until they dashed into war unpre-
pared, and the result was sickness and
| death from disease?
1--WE don't want the Philippines. but the
press says yes, so l suppose we must
| have them. Who is to pay for the enor-
| nous expenses Of the war? Why, the
| press says look at the glory: it will pay
the bills We cannot feed our own poor
in our cities, but owing to the humane
efforts of the press we can feed savages
| in far-off lands.
II want to ask the press, If we
must drive Spain OFF the Western Hemi-
! sphere. why not drive all other matte ms
off, also?
1--WE women suffer enough from the
| legislation of American senators without
getting legislation from the Filipinos.
Who knows what these savages might
do?
IF it we not for the press we would
I have international arbitration, but the
| press is the lever which moves the
world, whether the world will or ne.
Had the American press had CEN
sorship, such as was imposed on the
Spanish press. there would have been no
war, but who knows what blessings may
come in the future. God may turn good
out of evil
Mrs. Lockwood was asked by another
'pen woman what yellow journa ism
really meant. The speaker replied that
Gen. Shafter had to be slapped on the
face before he found out.
The .'pen women then took up the dis
cussion of the question, and SO hot was
the fire and so deadly the aim that the
press will probably be laid up long time
before it RECEIVERS from the effects of the
whipping. No1o1 8