Middletown transcript., 1915-06-26
ABUSING The PRESS
The Newspapers Are Backing
President Wilson'S Policies
DO THEY COLOR NEWS


To the credit of the newspapers of
the United States be it SAID that they
are practically unit in supporting the
policy of the President of the United
States regarding the submarine muir
ders. In this they voice the undoubted
sentiment of every true American citi-
zen. No man, no matter how intense
his feeling for Germany heretofore has
been, can conscientiously indorse the
sinking of the Lusitania. We refer to
the man who has called himself Ger
man American as we'll as to the native
born. The citizen of the United States
of German extraction whose loyalty is
first to this country has removed the
hyphen. He hopes as does every right
thinking person that we shall be en-
abled to keep out of hostilities, but if,
most unfortunately, we should be
dragged into them, his support will be
given to the government at Washington.
So the great class of substantial citi-
zens with German blood in their veins
say, and we believe them.
But there still fingers certain pro-
paganda that is offensive. The Dern-
burg person has been muzzled by Am
bassador Won Bernstorff, but he has left
behind him lot of petty followers who
continue to lombard the newspapers
with their screeds, usually anonymous.
These writer's mostly deal in vitupera-
ton. They accuse the daily journals of
melting the mob; of lying about Ger
many; of poisoning the minds of the
people by telling untruths. They say
that Germany has always been peace
loving and cultured, hence the atrocities
credited to German soldiers in Belgium
could sot have taken place. Of course,
the horror of the Lusitania stumps
them; but they get around that by still
claiming that this great merchant ship
was carrying ammunition and mounted
guns-and thew find excuses. Anyhow,
the newspapers are driving the country
into war, and hence the newspapers
ought to be taken out and hanged. That
is the way they talk.
the news? Most certainly not. They
print the news as it comes to them from
Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Paris and Lon
don. All newspapers have their opinions,
and express those opinions; but a re-
sponsble newspaper must, first of all,
be a newspaper in fact, and that means
that it must it must publish the news.
If that news, uncolored by editorial
scrutiny, printed rs it comes from the
battlefelds of the capitals of Europe,
does not please everybody, that is not
the fault of the newspapers. They are
not falsifying, and the correspondent
who writes to editors to declare that
they are is either knave or a fool.
Even DIR. Dernburg, we take it, could
not possibly object to the news of yes
terday morning, given great prominence
in the papers, of the fall of Przemysl.
Are the newspapers poisoning the
peoples minds and driving the Nation
into war in their attitude toward the
Lusitania outrage? If so, then truth
contains poison and the policy of the
President is one of war, for the atti-
tude of the newspapers is the attitude
of the President. The newspapers are
giving the President their hearty sup
port. Where he leads they will follow.
He hopes to be able to keep out of wal
by appealing to the good sense of Ger.
many. The newspapers share that hope
with him. But he insists that human
life on the ocean shall not be at the
mercy of torpedoes fired without notice
The newspapers insist with him. There
are rights on the ocean that must be
maintained, and if the President il
fighting for the cause of humanity, who
shall dare oppose him?
What Americad citizen, hyphenatt
or otherwise, will write to the news
papers and declare, over his true sigma
.ture and address, that the President il
all wrong and that he has no business
to ask of Germany that there shall bt
no recurrence of murders on the higl
seas? We doubt if there is anyone WHIT
will care to do it. Then why assail the
newspapers for indorsing tue President
policy? For, after all, that is all tina
they are doing. AT least, that is tn
attitude of this Inquirer.
This journal has faith in the Presiden
in his handling of the controversy witt
the German Government. 1t has no
offered him suggestions. 1t leave
everything in his hands.
We wish that some of the sympathi
zers with murder who write to tn
newspapers and hide their identity owe
initials or transparently false names an
address were also content to trust tn
President in this crisis.-Inqltirer.