The Washington herald., 1917-03-28
What Leading Newspapers
Say on the War Situation
The Call of the Navy.
New York Times,)

The pressing work of the hour is re-
cruiting for the navy. The full COM
plement of men must be obtained quickly
| so that not only the big battleships and
destroyers. but all the war vessels
hitherto in reserve can be manned and
made ready for service. We have second
| GLASS battleships In reserve which might
have formed powerful navy only a few
years ago. Vessels on the ways will soon
be ready, an enormous mosquito fleet is
is process OF mobilization. Big ships
for futude use have been laid down.
Arrangements have been made for
a. mament and ammunition. But we
| still need men, and although the re-
cruiting offices are besieged and are
getting through their labors rather
lamely. there is still room in the navy
for thousands Of able-bodied young men.
The chance to win distinction at see
has always been attractive to Ameri-
can youth. The chance was never bright
er than now. There is work to be done
for the country. and it is well worth
doing. An enlisted man OF a years
standing may gain admission to the
Naval Academy. while a large propor-
ton of our officers in the future will
come from the enlisted personnel.
The United states and the Allies.
tchrstian Science Monltor)
Certain items IN the news columns,
with regard to the manner and extent OF
participation in the war by the United
States, are interesting and significant.
There is evidently a widespread and
growing sentiment that the republic
should cast its lot with the allies. The
term "co-operation'' is on many tongues.
One OF the most distinguished advocates
of military preparedness is insistent that
the United States shall become, in the
fullest meaning of the term, an ally OF
the allies. A group of wealthy men are
prepared. 1t is announced. to finance an
aeroplane feet. costing 100000, for
operation at the front. Men of wealth
have also. 1t Is said. offered all the
support that may be need to enable
Col Roosevelt, when regularly commits
stoned by the government, to organize
and equip in the United States. an ex-
peditionary force of 100 90 men for ser
vice in France. The senior governor of
the Federal Reserve Board, W. p Hard
ing. of Alabama, favors a great Federal
loan to the allies powers; prominent
n billion dollars; people are writing tc
the newspapers advocating that this
amount shall be turned over or credited
to the allies, not as loan. but as
free-will gift. Those are all. apparently.
typical of the sentiment and spirit which
animate the nation.
The active work Of the United States
in the present crisis, to be effective,
should be directed with a regard for the
wishes Of, or in cooperation with, the
allied governments Time. energy. ana
money are otherwise likely to be wasteo-
There can be no d 'Ibting what the
United States could IN any branch ot
service which the { ~ency might
call for but. assuming It. sympathy.
moral and substantial. for tn> led
cause, the next great requisite is wisdom.
Laggard Germany.
(Kanas City star)
With the passing OF autocracy in Rus
sia, Germany remains in a position of un-
enviable conspicuousness as a land un-
democratically governed. Despite the
great industrial progress the empire had
made previous to the war politically 1t
has remained unquickened. or II the
spirit OF democracy has stirred 1t has
been repressed by a weight Of kaiserism.
feudalism and msdiaevalism that even
the rising tide of socialism has been un-
able to lift or shift.
AS Germany Is a patchwork of govern
ments-kingdoms. dukedoms. principall
ties cities-all of which retained some of
their medieval privileges when they
went into the empire. so Is the govern
ment Of the empire so bound up with pre-
rogative and caste as to make the ad-
vance of democracy into the labyrinth
almost impossible. Bismarck put as
much as possible of his own iron into
the constitution. 1t was q constitution
made to buttress the Prussian and i'm
perial thrones, to protect and hedge
about feudalism and property. The pow
ers granted to the Reichstag by no means
were such as to make It a representative
assembly. 1t could talk, but not to the
government. The Bundesrath in which
representatives Of the states sat as a
feudal council, and in which Prussia had
the ascendancy by reason Of superior
voting strength, exercised a veto power
over the popular house that reduced It
to mere debating club. -
New York Evening Post.
In the main the censorship regulations
suggested to the press will not be greatly