The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-13
DISTURBING WORLD PEACE.
ThoushtlesS NewsmOngers ResPOn-
sibIe for JinEOism.

From the UniVersalilt Leader.
There Is a story floating around in the
newspaper world which illustrates the
crime Of repeating foolish rumors and ex-
plains how nations are sometimes brought
TO the very verge of war by idle words.
The story is to the effect that each day,
on every war ship in the German navy.
after the mess is served. an officer rises
70 his feet, lifts his glass. and proposes
the toast Der Tag" We are told that
this toast is always drunk in silence. as
though 10 convey it's ominous signih-
canoe The meaning Of the sentiment
Der Tag (the day. is the day when
| German meets Englishman in war. The
way the story is told and repeated and
| amplihed by suggestion and inference II
/ is made to convey the impression Of an
/ inevitable and gigantic impending conflict
| between these two great nations. a con-
/ hict which IS liable 20 come any day. and
/ for which every German naval officer is
preparing
/ Such a story II founded on fact would
indeed be ominous- The spirit Of such a
/ toast everywhere repeated in the German
navy every day would OF Itself go far 10
make the anticipated war a certainty. II
Is certain that multitudes believe the
story 20 be true The nerves Of the Eng
lish people have been on edge for months
over the German danger" But here
comes President Wheeler, OF California
/ University, fresh from an extended visit
I'm Germany, where he has been IN intI-
mate relations with representatives of
German life and thought President
Wheeler declares that the German people
know nothing about any such toast or
any such spirit In the German navy.
Representative Germans tell President
untrue so far as they have knowledge Of
the facts.
We have had our own experience with
this kind Of story telling. For a long time
many OF our newspapers have been print
ing news from Japan which. IL true. is as
Iomlnous as the Der Tag" story. We
have been informed in much detail. with
many variations. that Japan is alive with
the war spirit and that she Is only wait
ing the opportunity 20 swUop down on us
like a hawk. one day It IS japanese spies
the filling Of the Hawaiian Islands with
japanese. so that when the crash comes
they VIII destroy our great base Of sup
pies Tor naval action on the Pacific
Ocean But here comes some Of Tho
sanest travellers and statesmen direct
, from Japan. where they have had large
opportunities for learning Of the Japa
'nese mood Here are our representative
Christian missionaries who live In Japan
These agree almost 20 a man that all the
, talk about japanese hatred Of the Unite
, States. or japanese preparations 20 tax,
/ the Philippines or Hawaiian Islands i
, all a fabrication or a mistaken suspicion
on our part.
Assuming the German people know thei
own mood and that Christian mission
, aries IN Japan understand the people o.
that country better than newspaper re
D.. |porters do, there IS a conclusion 10 b
drawn from the situation. which Conclu
4 sion Is not fatterinE 90 our own inteui
- Eence as represented IN our newspapers
-, One might as well fill his automobile tanl
r. with gasoline with a lighted cigar IN hl
% mouth, as ne saw a man do not long ago
To-
20 modern world telling tales about nation
. and races which are calculated 70 hav
about the same effect as a spark in gaso
, line. There are crimes against civiIlza
. ton not mentioned IN our common O
r. statute laws. There are oHenses aCains
=, the peace Of nations for which men ouCh
a 10 be hanished where they can do n
a harm. The reporter or the editor or N
10 newspaper that prints story calculate
- to cause nations 90 hate one another
2 doing a distardly thing unless he know
the story 20 be true. Even then Il woul
be base 20 print IL without careful cor
g sideration OF its effects. That story Z
"A the Der Tag toast well peddIed. VIII d
-- more 20 increase England's naval preD5
10 rations than can be offset by the arg,
n ments OF all the lovers. Of peace In n
- empire. SO long as sensational newsrs
ipers print lies about whole peoples an
scatter these abroad world-peace IS n,
safe over night. and every nation mu!
Dro,-fT. Gov gfg c-,-, EaFa-za