The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-06-01

an entry into the war, and against any change ill the neutral policy ot this government, before the con scription act was passed. And ii they do so, surely they are not re sp0nsible for the attitude now taken up? II may be recognized frankly that the greatest opposition to war came from those who were and are pro. Germans. No one can deny this. And it may be frankly recog- nized that the pro-Germanist is go- ing to leave nothing undonc to ham per the war measures of the United States against the country with which he is in full sympathy.
 None the less the democratic party itself is primarily responsible for the fact that the national mind is unprepared to accept war, and certainly if it is unprepared to ac- cept quietly the draft, the propaganda of the democratic
 
 Gcrmanist propagandists are equal ly responsible.
 Really common sense should warn that the frame of mind of the people, what one may call the social mind, cannot be changed over night. Thus the effort to instill, correctly it may be, the fact that the war in Europe in which the United States IS taking part, is war of demo- cracy against autocracy, has come rather late in the history of the war to be Immediately effective. It IS not one of those fundamental truths that are so obvious they need no demonstration and no ar. gumentative proof. It has been challenged by some of the ablest democrats at the earlier stages of the war. when neutrality was a de- mocratic cult, and it will not be ac. cepted at once haphazard fashion upon the ipse dixit of some power ful journal or some prominent per son.
 Mere inconsistency of view does not render that view wholly worth less; but it does somewhat hamper it's popular extension. The public likes to follow a leader, but the pub lie likes, somehow a consistent lead CT. It gets wearied discovering his steps through mystic maze of one attitude today and another tomor- row.
 That is precisely the condition Of the popular mind today where there are evidences of opposition to the war and to conscription. While an invasion of the United States might result in the fiocking of mil lions to the colors. and while draft ing would be wholly in that event superfluous, there are quite a good many who recall only the demo- cratic past and insist still if not iii preserving neutrality, at least in an attitude of opposi- ton to conscription.
 The administration and the de- mocratic party ought, in all fair ness. to be ready therefore to ac- cept full responsibility should any draft troubles be encountered. The administration sowed the seed pre- cisely for those troubles, it may have been with the best intention n the world. Only yesterday the most powerful were teaching that we should be too proud to fight. md that we should bestir ourselves o memorize the warning of Wash ngton himself against entangline alliances. Today they cannot reason 'bly expect that all others would rio themselves of the teachings which hey absorbed from them the day before. Hence if many are too proud to fight, it is justly recollect- d that it was the President him. elf who nurtured that pride.
 It is not a very peculiar thing that lot everyone can today carry on a ireless anti-war propaganda and Varn the nation that it would be he greatest of calamities, and to- morrow volunteer. if the war sup
 
 n the ranks. Most minds move lore slowly and possess less elasti- ity than the nimble brain ot William Jennings Bryan. Only few ]