The San Francisco call., 1903-12-12
TALKING OFFICERS

n EVERAI army and navy officers in recent years
have talked too much. Some of them have en-
- barked on the rough of DOMESTIC questions and
like General Funston. have talked themselves
forced standsti Others, ambitious, have sailed
on the broader of international questions and
have undertaken create issues with other countries
embarrassing TO Government
In regard to this practice question Of veracy has
arisen between General Macarthur of the regular army
and Colonel Jones OF the Hawaiian militia. In report
Governor Carter, which he enlarged upon the inn
portance of the island militia the colonel said he had
the assurance of General Macarthur that the
eve of war with Germany. This accompanied by
an exposition of spirit the effect that
the Kaiser forciby promoting substantial union of
all of German blood wherever domcied to support
by sympathy and uprising the spread OF the empire In
support of this view General Macarthur reported
lamentng that the Germans the United States stu
dousy avoided enlstng for the Spanish and he
this down with other signs and tokens in the political earth
and sky to that wherever German goes he
carries the empire and its mitarism with him. He
reported disturbed also by the ecundity of the Ger
MANS which was represented deliberately planned
surplus population for the purpose OF migrating
and carrying the empire with it.
Colonel Jones days after all this portentous
prophecy was given him down and reported it
the Governor of Hawaii intending thereby create
thrill that would inure to the benefit of the militia
Now comes General Macarthur declaring that the
distorted Y,
rerains stating how looked and worded be-
fore it was reracted IN the prism of Colonel Jones mill
tary enthusiasm Jones into focus long enough
to say he did intend his report of the
ton be made public and is supported by Governor
Carter who says the publication unauthorized and
occurred through misunderstanding. This moves us
to offer the advice that officers do not talk with tatters
and that taters do not tattle to officers.
The net result of affair is that if the expressions in
regard to Germany and the Germans the sent
of General Macarthur they the views of Colo
mel Jones, so that they only remove any way
1t is not for regular officers of the to ere
international complications by walk or conversation
Our system of government wisely condes international
affairs the executive who should not be embarrassed
by military subordnaes. Nor is it the function of
militia colonel Hawaii elsewhere to sniff the battle
afar off and thereby begin the embroing of his country
with a friendly foreign power.
As far as the Germans in the United States
cerned they seek naturalization the law
mits and are among our best alien born citizens The
great migration of Germans hither followed the
revolution of I848 They from Schleswig Holsten
and Bavaria mostly. but there many Prussians.
Their leaders, Schurz Sge Otendorfer Hassurek and
Others became Americans in spirit and purpose They
set the pace for all Germans who have followed them,
and it is probable that there among none who
have cherished in greater purity American sentiment.
They did what other aliens have failed to do They
left behind politics. the eaousies and
addressed themselves with spirit and intelligence the
public affairs and higher politics OF their adopted coun
try as they did to its best industries and larger
prises
This saying that they forgot the Fatherland but
they remembered it for the gories of its dynasty
the glitter OF imperial pageanry but for its schools,
ot virtue, its students, scholars and phoso
piers whose patience and genius had pushed scientific
investigation the ultimate had turned searching lens
upon the dead past and brought out of the facts that
overthrow modern superstition and emancpae human
reason They realized that Germany greater than
the empire, better than its armies stronger than its
power, with jurisdiction in the wide republic of
thought and letters, which mere political empire
never achieve. Because they with such motives,
illustrated by such conduct, they have been eowshped
by Americans and their assimilation has raised the power
blood and strengthened every sinew of the nation
To say that such people the sinister agents the
empire, living among physically but apart from
purpose and sentiment using the broader opportunity
OF free and splendid institutions only gather the
substance and gain the strength assist in their
throw sander, whether the expression be that
of regular army officer the hitherto unheard of colo
mel of an island militia