The Washington herald., 1917-04-24
How the Editors Are Viewing
America and the World War
Is Congress for the yellow Benie.r

Ii Congress for the yellow Benie.r
tChics0 TribunsJ
The United States Is sQuarely on the
firing line. 1t IL In danger and in need Of
every bit Of political intelligence 1t can
command an In need Of every bit Of devo-
ton Its citizens can give It.
The facts that high explosive shells are
not falling in American territory and
that American ports are not blockaded.
that American newspapers are not print
ing casualty lists. and that American
troops are not numaFous in encampments.
need deceive no one
Congress- now Is handlig a situation
which wolves the security of the Ameri-
can republic. The military needs of the
United states require conscrtption. Moth
ing else will work. The volunteer system
Is CHASTITY delusion. II Congress per
sists In harboring It Congress aids our
enemy and injures the United States
We are at the gates OF hell. Theories
VIII get US nothing, except possibly ad-
mittance through the gates.
President Wilson has asked Congress to
subscribe to the principle of universal
liability to military service. Nothing
else Will work. Anything else is a tinid
evasion OF fact. We shall be sold out to
the enemy IL Congress will not be wise
and courageous, Congress cannot consult
the yellowopellies and save the nation.
The President was reelected as a man
of peace, opposed to military establish
ments. He is opposed to military estab-
lishments. He Is as much opposed now
as ever, we'll safely guess. but no mat
ter what his desires. opinions, ideas, and
pretudices were, the nation is in war
shortly after his inauguration for q sec
ond term.
He evidently has seen how man may
propose and events dispose. He has done
an act of Intellectual honesty. He has
asked for q conseript army. We might
rest the case for universal service upon
the mere fact Of woodrow Wilson's con-
version to II.
Define All War Aims.
philadelphia Ledgg)
The enemy has sought to make his
subjects. from whom he keeps the news
Of the world. believe that the United
States Is able to give but small assistance
to the armed forces of democracy. One
might think, reading the German news
papers, that power no greater than Bel
giur1 or Portugal had declared war on
Germany on April 6. Reading only the
accounts Of public rejoicing and thanks
giving in England and France, one comes
to believe that Americas decision has as
sured the allies Of victory and that VIC
tory would never have seemed certain
until America had spoken.
The high rank of Mr.. Balfour and NJ,
Vlviani and the immediate need Of their
counsels in their governments leave in
no doubt the supreme importance of
American Intervention to the cabinets of
the allies. Nations in the throes OF a
struggle for existence have no time or
thought for idle fattery.
The American people will expect to
hear of no detail OF military or naval CO.
operation agreed upon by the technical
experts who accompany Mr.. Balfour.
publication of which would help the
enemy. But Mr.. Balfour Is not a mill
tary man; his errand is political The
people take II for granted that any pol
icy to which Mr.. Wilson commits the
country will be promptly made public.