Arizona republican., 1915-08-16
Ry ALBERT J. REVERIDGE

trait of Senator Beverldge. By ALBERT J. BEVERIDGE (Albert J. Beveridge, former sen ator from Indiana and well known writer on political subjects, returned recently from Europe, where he spent several months studying the war. 1 His war articles have been eagerly read, and his new book, What Is l Back of the War" bids fair to be
 one of the most popular books deal ing with the European great con- flict. In this article. Senator Bever- idge interestingly sets down some of l his impressions. The Editor. ) When the editor of Golfers pro- posed to me that I go to Europe and write a series of articles in that magazine on the real conditions in 1 the warning countries, I accepted | because I thought it was a great op- portunity to witness at least one 1 phase of this greatest conflict in the 1 history of the world. Also it seem ed to me to be quite certain that this l was was so great as to affect pro- l foundly in a permanent way every country in the world, including our l own country.
 The wars of Alexander fundamen- | tally changed conditions throughout the then known world; the wars of Caesar gave a new direction to civ l ilization; the wars of Napoleon put
 an end to old governmental and so- cial systems and ushered in new | ones Yet it is a startling face that all these wars of Alexander, Caesar
 and Napopleon, rolled into one do | not al all equal the present day con- | flict even up to the present stage. So, to study conditions on the ground and report what actually was seen and heard, was a big and worth l while undertaking.
 I It is only human nature that one who already has formed an opinion | should entertain a fervent and yet ] honest desire that reports from the | field of action confirm and encOur- age his views Thus it was that the journey was undertaken under | the handicap of choosing between | writing the truth or offending cher l ished opinions of the American public.
 The average AmeYican wishes to | know the truth of any such matter | which interests him and to make his decision only upon the facts; yet t | is natural that he receives, with re- luctance, a report which is contrary , to his wishes. But history must be
 written according to the facts, rather than to carefully planned and mis- 1 leading design.
 l Had to Revise Beliefs In nearly every step of my in 1 vestigation I was struck in the face 1 by facts which dazed me, so com pletely were they the reverse Of what I had read.
 l For example, at the time I went l to Europe, it was published broadcast and repeated time and time again | that the Germans were almost starv- | ing; hundreds of our papers gave detailed accounts of bread riots in | Berlin and other German cities. But l found that food was abundant and prices very cheap. When I so stated
 in my articles. many close friends l could not at first believe it.
 l Again, it was said that Germany 1 was woefully short of ammunition
 that her copper supply had given out that she had no oil, and, therefore
 that she soon would be forced to l succumb. A review of the newsra pers of last November and Decom- per SHOW now Wluely lIlS llllIfeSS-1O1 | had been circulated. On the evening 1 before I sailed I dined with enc of the most carefully informed men in l the United States or perhaps in any 1 country-a man whose business it is | to be widely and accurately informed
 He told me that the shortage of war
 munitions in Germany, especially oil
 and copper, would end the war in | e.I, these carefully circulated reports
 were unfounded and wrote the exact facts, they were received at first with incredulity.
 Still another example: We had | been told that Bernhardi's war book | was the great popular German book.
 that everybody in Germany had read lit and that it expressed German purposes, spirit and philosophy. I
 found On the contrary that compara | lively few Germans in Germany had | read this book or even heard of it; | that only six thousand copies had been printed in that country and | that not all of these had been sold;
 and finally that scholars and busi 1 ness men in Germany had heard of | the book for the first time after the l Beginning of the war, from English l newspapers. Yet 90 profoundly had
 the American public been impressed l with the statements about Bernhar- I dis book that the real facts were | received at first with reluctance.
 Finds Emperor's Health Good 1 One more striking illustration: At the time I sailed, long, careful, detailed and specific accounts were l given about the alarming condition | of the emperors health. These ac- counts said that he was broken down l physically, that he was a nervous 1 wreck, that an operation on his throat prevented him from uttering