New-York tribune., 1916-02-15


Prime Minister il Sir Edward Grey feels
that il is undignifcd to talk TO American
or to the German people
through our newspapers; that is thor
oughly British affair.
But again and again British newspapers
and British writer's complain at the lack
of American appreciation of the Allied
the British purpose. Again and
again American newspapers and Ameri-
can public men get scolded by British men
and newspapers because of their failure
IN recognize what Great Britain has done
in the war and what she is doing. Such
complaints are unjust and unreasonable.
1t is all right for the British to ignore
the American press and the methods by
which the American newspapers are con
Quoted. but if they do ignore them then
they have no cause to complain about the
result.
Now. to take another angle. The Trib-
unc will not be accused, even in London,
of any tremendous partiality for Count Won
Bernstorff. But The Tribune recognizes
that Count Won Bernstorff has grasped
the essential facts of American journalism
as few foreigners ever did. He has made
friends of many American correspondents
by the very simple method of telling them
the facts as he could. of putting himself at
their disposal 10 answer their questions
whenever possible. lie has taken his toll.
If he has answered questions, he has thus
got his answers before the American pub
lie. He has used the correspondents TO put
out the statements which he has desired to
put out.
To-day the German side of the pend
ing dispute with the United States fre
quently gets to print before the American.
Count Won Bernstorf has been aStute
enough to turn American weapons against
the American Government and not infrc-
quently 20 embarrass that government by
the cleverness of what he has put out
through the newspapers. The Admins
tration, the Government. has a remedy, If
it chooses to employ it, but this is not
Count Won Bernstorf's business. His .
future master the present Grown Prince,
counts it no loss of royal dignity to talk
through an American correspondent to
he American people; why should he?
Does any one suppose that it is equally
possible TO get the British case before the
public from the Washington Embassy?
yan any one imagine that Sir Cecil Spring
Rice would use the American press as
8ernstorff has done? OF course not. The
British Embassy in Washington is a tower
# silence, the German a veritable head |,
quarters Of information. The newspapers
hat are most friendly to Great Britain
labitually carry only the pro-German side
because there is no possibility of getting
he British; there is no one waiting at
he telephone or actually busy on it to
see that the British position is made clear.
No one in Washington--no one in America
no one in London.
There is no reason for American criti-
,ism here If the British Government
prefers not to use its officials as does the
German, that is all very well. We under
stand perfectly that they can say with
utter candor and grace-"But it simply
isn't done" Probably not in London, bat
it is done in Washington; it is done inl
Berlin. and the result is that the Germans
succeed in getting their case before the
American people as they desire to get it,
even if they have to interrupt the Crown
Prince in his favorite occupation of being
defeated just to submit to an interview.
The American newspapers are what they
are. The American public is what it is.
By playing their game in conformity with
our rules the Germans have made i'm
measurable progress in their effort to con-
vince the American people Of the justice
of their cause. There are thousands that
they will not convince. There are some
of US who will believe that the cause Of
Great Britain is right, despite everything
the British can do to prove us wrong.
But we shall go ON printing the German
news and chrOnicling that the Crown
Prince or the immortal Bernhard or the
Incompatible Hollweg said thus and so
while we try to guess what Sir Edward
Grey or Mr.. Asquith might have said, had
he thought it worth while TO say any
thing whatsoever to the American people.
Occasionally even The Tribune sends its
London correspondent to Berlin in the hope
that he will get something worth putting
on the front page. and The Tribune re-
calls with satisfaction that on his last