Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-10-20
ENGLAND'S
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which Great Britain has to contend
at the present time is the eXtraoral-
nary and harmful loquacity OF pollti-
clans, editors, war correspondents
chronic fault-fnders and several NIL
lion other people and the too great ret
icence of the overnment IN giving
information about matters concern
ing which the public seems to think
it should be kept fully posted. no"
far the attitude of the Government is
responsible for the pessimlstlc ana
,onsor;ops tone of ito critics it is dit
fcult to say, but it must be admitteo
that John Bull is giving an exhloitloh
of the perils Of too great freedom Oh
sueech which is not pleasant TO VII
noes There should be limit to such
licanse and a lesson might be drawn
from our own civil war, when Lincoln
suspended the writ of habeas corpus
and clapped into Jail hundreds OF on
ending editors and ornerS VIM ''i
onized the national cause.
The Philadelphia Record IN COM
menting upon present conditions says:
From the distance of 5000 miles inc
British Government seems TO nav
worked wonders, and if it has maue
mistakes. that can also ne saio Oh
carmany. Russia, Austria and all the
other combatants Even the goou
deeds of the coalition CABINET are
turned against it. The London ZINES e.
COMPLAINS bitterly because the hlgn!y
cred;tablt achievements Of the Brit
ish forces in Mesapotamia are almost
IGNORED officially. Little attention mas
boen Maid to the fact that the British
have carried on most succesS1u!
c,rnaign against the Turks in that
far-distant region and that they are
now the possessors of district Wni 81,
is potentially one of the most tGrti!e
in the world. Incidentally the Brit.
;sh approach to Bagdad makes COCO
sized hole in the grandiose German
plans for carrying a campaign OF con-
ruest to the Persian Gulf and thence
on to India. The whole operation may
clearly have military and hpiomiatic
consequences of the utmost lmpor-
lance, and there may be the pest
rcnsons of state for not laying toe
great present emphasis upon the
success that has attached TO It,.
AS Americans we probably have
no right to criticise John Bulls
rrouchiness in these matters. We
have the same unlcvely failing.
There is a New York paper, Repub,
]ican. of course, which heaps the most
virulent abuse upon President Wll-
son because ne took a firm stand IT
the exchange Of notes with Germany
over the loss Of American lives though
the attacks OF German submarines.
and looks upon the American dlplo-
matte victory as almost q crime. This
paper is not pro- German. Indeed. II
is strongly anti-German. But 1t holds
the curious view that, unless one Is
physically able to thrash a bully o.
ruf1ian who insults him, the aggrieved
party has 10 right to express lndlgna
ton over ill-treatrnent. Only soTo
words must be used for fear CT ex
citing resentment. and no nation with.
out i powerful arm! and navy has
a right to use words that lead to
vigorous action. For sheer pusii!ani-
nifty and idiocy nothing that is being
said in Great Britain approaches such
an American utterance. But we th!nt
nothing of it because the nation is a;
peace, and Republican editors arc
hard pressed to find cause for grum~
bling against the Administration. Or
the principle of any port in g storm
any lie or misrepresentation will ans
wer the purpose. That is the Anglo.
Saxon fashion on both side OF the
Atlantic. Fad as it is. we would not
exchange it for the muzzle places
by the Kaiser's Government upon the
German press.
1t is the OLD, old story. The South
ern Ccnfedcracy had its critics and
pessimists, as did also the northern
section of the country during the four
years. civil war.