The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-10-01
Neutrality and Culture.


The President has requested all people il the
United States to remain neutral in regard to the
war of Europe as the government must be nentrsl.
Members of Congress and politicians generally have
followed the Presidents suggestion and so has the
daily press IN editorial discussion, with few ex-
ceptions Those who have not observed carefully
the Presidents admonition have been in the pull
pit where sdUA discussion is not generally eoDsid-
cred appropriate and in the colleges over the ap-
peals of the Representatives Of culture f-om Eng
land and Germany. II is natural for the people
of England, France, Germany and even of Russia
and Austria to desire that the people of the United
States should understand their particular sides of
the controversy but it is rather novel experience
fer the American people to have poured out upon
them these appeals in the name Of culture BY the
representatives. of the great universities Of Europe
and those who have won regulations as the best
representatives Of modern literature The dictionary
defines culture 'the systematic improvement and
refinement Of the mind, especially ones own" and
ethics as 'he doctrine of mans duty in respect to
himself and the rights of others" If these defni-
tons have many and such radical contrsdictiors
as are presented by the learned philosophers Of
England and Germany, it is difficult to draw the
line so as to exclude the culture of Russia or even
that of China and Japan, or of India, or that of
past ages.
The conflict seems to have changed from one of
politics to of culture and philosophy and what
ever may be the antagonists between the political
leaders or the masses of people in England and
Germany, or the feelings of the soldiers arrayed
against each other, the most uncompromising and
the bterest opponents college professors preach
ers and authors all claiming to represent culture
and the ethical side of life. There are millions of
men in the field with great engines of destruction
81 cid H. - asr
on the earth, such as were never before presented
in war; but the conflict of the mighty pens of pro-
fessors and preachers makes more noise than the
conflict of swords so far as we can hear them on
this side of the ocean 1t may and must be pos
sble for the generals in the field and the political
heads of the various governments to some time ar
range basis of peace, but how are we to ever
again have peace among the teachers and other ex-
ponents of culture? We, here in America, viii
have to depend on own ideas of culture and eth
ical life without regard the conflicting DEGREES of
the colleges of Europe, and perhaps that will be
just as we'll
Bismarck said: q have always felt mistrust of
politicians IN long skirts whether feminine of &C.
clesiastic." He might have added college profess
sors. But such are the ways of the highly edu-
Gated and cultured. The most lasting scars of our
civil war were left on the churches Before the
war there were the Methodist Presbyterian and Bap-
tist Churches of the United States Now each is
divided into North and South. The leaders of the
churches had divine inspiration as to the good and
evil of slavery and while, since the war, they have
been able to forgive and exchange fratenal greet
ings they have not been able to forget and reunte
Lincoln had his experience, and when the preachers
called to tell him what the Lord would have him do
he replied that if Divine Power had any command
to give he believed that command would be given
directly to him, his the responsibility, and
no man living desired the aid of the Almighty
than did he
The people a whole have pretty generally OBJ
served the Presidents caution for individual as well
as national neutrality. As former college presi-
dent he might give particular caution to the col
lege professors, and the preachers too since he
has designated next Sunday as day of prayer for
peace