The Washington herald., 1917-04-01
An Unconscious Tribute.
New York Times.)

New York Times.l
In the course of their savage retreat
the Germans paid the French a sinsu-
larly high and delicate compliment. They
tore open church graveyards and coffins,
Idesecrating the graves OF men and wom-
en- who died years ago. They broke open
vaults, split tombstones, threw rubbish
into collins, dynamited churches, smashed
reliquaries, looted relics Of saints, tore
vestments. But before going they built
a fine cemetery In which they buried their
dead soldiers and those of the enemy.
and they built 1t with the evident inten-
ton Of permanency.
The compliment the Germans paid the
French was to express In this emphatic
manner theif confidence that not even
the sight of the horrible treatment of the
dead they loved and the religion of their
faith would embitter the French to re-
prisal-not even though the two sights.
the desecrated French graves and the
serene German graves, lay temptingly
together in the same town. They paid
the French the compliment OF an un-
doubling trust in their higher civilization.
Danger from Russian Radicals.
tKansas City TinesJ
Ambassador Francis reports from Pet
rograd "a more favorable attitude on the
part of the radical element, which 1t was
feared for a time might start a revolu-
tion against the moderates in control"
How important that danger might prove
Is hardly realized in America. 1t was
this radical element" that wrecked the
promising revolution OF 1906 that produced
the first Duma.
The land problem has been as pressing
In Russia as 1t has been in ireland and
Mexico. When the first Duma was or
Ganized the radicals at once proposed
that the government confscate the large
aSfa taS divide thar1 the T.
ants without compensation to the pro-
rrietors. This proposal drove the entire
country gentry. who constituted the
backbone Of the moderate progressives,
into alliance with the reactionaries.
Russian reform was set back for years
by this folly on the part OF the radicals
which put the bureaucracy in control
just at a time when the country might
have undertaken self-goyernment. I'm
doubtedly the reactionaries and the pro-
German element will do their best in the
present emergency to stir up the radicals
10 unreasonable demands. That is a
chief source of danger to the new democ-
racy.
A Half Truth.
Chicago Herald)
Every now and then some one rises to
remark that the people do not want war.
They are entirely correct in the state
war and they probably never will.
But it may happen that they want some
thing else even less than war. Confront
ed with a choice OF evils, they might
choose war as the lesser. AS between
az abject surrender OF national rights
and even a resort to war itself. they
might find the latter more tolera ble
more honorable. more patriotic.
Americans have always been a peace
Ioyip1 Deonle We assnpna fhey will
main so. In the pursuits of quiet indus
try and orderly life they will continue to
find the best rewards of effort and the
realization of the highest ideals. But the
time has not come when this fondness
for peace has degenerated into peace-at-
any-priceism.
Nobody wants war Nobody wants the
disguised war that Germany is waging
against US with her ruthless submar arine
campaign. Unfortunately a nation can
not always avoid what It doesn't want
Some other nation may choose to pro-
vide II anyway. The nobody wants
war" argument is a half truth that de-
coives no one.
Wait TIL the President Speaks.
CChrisian Science Mouitor)
Altogether. the tenor OF the
Presidents forthcoming statement OF the
crisis, with his recommendations as to
how best to meet II, enchains the interest
Of five groups Of the United States today.
The first Of these groups embraces a very
large element OF the overwhelming ma
jority, and Is confident that the chief
magistrate will stand unhesitatingly for
the best traditions Of the republic. for
the positive assertion of its rights. and
for the vindication of its outraged honor
The second constitutes the rank and file
Of the overwhelming majority. and hopes
that the expectation OF the first group
may be fully realized, but is fearful lest