The Washington herald., 1914-12-21
Human EDITORIAL Talks
MISS RICHARDS.LS SO-CALLED
Discusses War S Causes

Another large audience assembled IN
the auditorium at Woodward & Lothrop's 8
on Monday morning last TO hear Miss
IJanet Richards discuss the vital ques-
tions Of the day, both home and foreign.
Miss Richards has been called the human
editorial, because Of her faculty for Gull
ing out and co-ordinating the salient
facts from the current happenings OF the
day, and then transmitting them to her
audiences in what some one has called
'spleasant and palatable capsule form"
At the talk last Monday Miss Richards
began with q group Of subjects Of home
interest" including the latest phases of
the Mexican problem. describing condi-
tions at Naco. Ariz.. the alleged violation
OF neutrality and disregard Of the port
laws at the two entrances to the Panama
Canal. Col Goethals' request for naval
vessels with which to guard the isthmus,
and the question OF ''our national de-
Tense"
After presenting the pros and cons
concerning the foregoing subjects. Miss
Richards gave an interesting account of
the deliberations Of The Pan-American
Union on Tuesday. December 5, when
the diplomatic representatives OF twenty
of the American republics considered the
violations OF the three-mile limit in
American coast waters and other alleged
violations of neutrality laws on the part
OF the vessels Of several OF the belligerent
powers.
In discussing the desirability OF EXTEND
ing the water line beyond the present
three-mile limit, Miss Richards reminded
her audiences that the Peruvian Minis
ter, Senior Pezet, had gone so far as to
propose to the conference that 1t should
recommend extending the limit OF neu-
trality to the very center Of the Atlantic
Ocean.
This" said Miss Richards. is. as you
will recall, the method of delimitation
applied to the waters OF the Great Lakes
between our country and Canada, as well
as to the European lakes, but how it
could be made a practical working
proposition on the big pond remains to
be seen"
Reverting. after the "fresh-air inter-
mission" to the European war, Miss
Richards called attention to the great
war-credit OF five billion marks Zone
and a quarter billion dollars). voted
by the German Reichstag on De-
cember 2, and the fact that the sole
dissenting vote was cast by the
leader OF the German socialists, Herr
Karl Liebknecht. who later. explained
his vote by declaring that this war was
not desired by any OF the peoples affect
ed. nor was it kindled to promote the
welfare of the Germans or any other
people. The war Is a NRpoleOnic at
tempt to unnerye and crush the grow
ing democracy OF Germany known as
the labor movement.
That this was the real inner cause
of the war was commented upon by
Miss Richards as a belief held in many
quarters, numerous references to which
she had collected from papers. mRga-
zines, and editorial utterances.
She quoted from a recent editorial in
a Baltimore paper. which stated that
just before the outbreak OF the war IL
had warned its readers that the wide
spread unrest in Europe and agitation
for q broader democracy was driving
the dynasties and their supporting
classes to prefer a costly war with all
its hazards. to the supposedly less
manageable hazards of peace under the
above named conditions.
That DR.. Liebkneckh still believes