The Washington herald., 1915-09-27
Exit Archibald.

1t is not at all likely that proceedings will be
undertaken against James F. J. Archibald by the
United States authorities. When man has made
a fool of himself-or worse-in the eyes Of the
world there is nothing to be gained by giving him
an opportunity to pose as martyr.
/ Any GOODNESS which Mr. Archibald may here
after experience in his journey through life will not
be due to his brief but tragic career as conf
dental agent of the Austro- Hungarian Ambassa-
dor The air of opera bouffe that has distinguished
his valuable services in the cause has distracted
public attention from the sinister question
of what would have been the result to the United
States if this and subsequent missions of the
delicate nature had succeeded in their purpose.
There may be few uncompromising souls who
believe that Mr. Archibald has forfeited his right
TO American citizenship but that will not be the
general view. He belongs in the camp Of the
hyphenated.
Mr.. Archibald is-or rather was-a war cor
respondent. He followed calling the very nature
of which demanded high of honor, an
essential straightforwardness of thought and ac-
ton in its followers. Many privileges are extend
cd to the correspondent of neutral country
on the theory that his business is of procuring
legitimate news for his public. And such has been
the high and honorable bearing of those who fol-
lowed this profession in the past that the sur
| vcillance OF war correspondents by the military
| authorities has been purely perfunctory. As with
the armies to which the correspondent is accredit-
cd, with the public at home. They believe what
he tells them at least accept it the assump-
ton that he is their man, honestly endeavorng to
depict things he them. His position in re-
gard to this audience no less than in regard to
those to whom he is accredited is one Of trust.
That trust Mr.. Archibald at the very outset
Il, aI,I =
many disguised as an American war correspondent
He sent back reports that purported to be an
American correspondents honest Impressions
Many persons, not supposing that man in Archi-
bald's position would play double game, believed
all he sent. The articles were evidently not writ
ten by Mr. Archibald though they bore his name
They were written by German, in the kind of
| English that German would write. They dis
played the habit of thought, the mental attitude
that only German enjoys that the most pro-
nounced Germanophile American cannot acquire
They purported to be eyewitness reports of events
covering an extent of territory that Mr. Archibald
could not possibly have covered in the brief space
OF time he had been at the German front. Incl
dentally they contained statements that Mr. Archi-
bald must have we'll known were untrue
AS with the newspaper articles SO with the lee
lures. They purported to be the experiences of an
American war correspondent with the German
armies They were official Austro- German lee
| lures prepared for the sole purpose of inclining
public opinion in the United States to the side of
the central empires
1t is immaterial whether Mr.. Archibald was
paid lump SUM by the Teutonic governments for
his distinguished services or whether his remuner-
alton was confined to the returns from articles and
lectures. The material fact is that Mr. Archibald
posed as an American correspondent when he
was really an Austro- German publicity agent He
has provided his own punishment in the damage
he has done to his future career in this country.