The Washington herald., 1915-11-24
Displaying Imitation Sentiment.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. The
President is to receive thousands of kilograms
from women's organizations, asking him to call
conference of neutral nations at once to make
a just settlement of the war" This is the state
ment of Miss Jane Adams who is conducting the
propaganda which is to be paid for out of SIo,-
900 donation from Mrs. Henry Ford With all
due respect to the humanitarian impulse of these
ladies, the President, better acquainted with the
international situation than Miss Adams, must be
better qualified to judge when to attempt negotia-
tons with other independent powers now engaged
in war. 1t is always a question of both delicacy
and judgment as to the right time for outsider
to attempt to settle quarrel. An effort made at
the wrong time generally leads to worse complica-
tions and weakens the influence of the intruder.
But aside from the wisdom of this demand for
the Presidents action, he is forewarned as to the
character of the propaganda, and by those who
have charge of the arrangements. 1t is not to be
a spontaneous demand from the women and moth
ers of the country. 1t is conducted from New York
City where the kilograms prepared, sent out
to thousands of other women for signatures and
forwarded to the President, all at the expense of
the generous Mrs Ford.
Such methods have been employed before but
not with the frankness and publicity given by Miss
Adams. The Chicago promoters in 1891, had
kilograms sent from all parts of the country de-
manding of Congress that the Windy City should
be the location for the Columbian Exposition, and
they won But the members of Congress were not
taken into the secret until after the vote and did
not know that the Chicago people had paid all
the telegraph tolls and that those who signed the
kilograms did not care a fig where the great
worlds fair should be located, whether in New
York Washington, St. Louis Chicago They
good naturally signed kilograms which somebody
else would pay for, and it cost the Chicago pro-
motors good round sum; but they won and had
a joke on Congress as we'll as on the other cities
that had competed with them for the exposition.
The method has become common in recent
years and is now employed in promoting all sorts
of legislation, but the promoters still try to keep
secret the financial arrangements with the tele-
graph companies, and to create the impression in
Congress that these electric showers are caused
by a general storm of public sentiment. Congress
has become wise and Indifferent to these patent
devices for creating makebelieve public sentiment,
and such electric showers rarely disturb the sere-
nifty of either the House or Senate
Miss Adams and her co-workers have how
ever, attempted no deception on President Wilson.
They are working the wires from New York and
paying all the telegraph tolls for the shower on
warning and continues to believe that the sober
sentiment of the men and women of this country
sustains him in watchful waiting for proper op-
portunity to effectively use his good offices to re-
store peace to Europe, the ladies who have given
him notice of their propaganda, cannot hold him
responsible for their failure.