New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-11
Editorial Asserts Peoples
Council Activities Hast
ened Reply to Pope
He Has Adopted Animus OF
Britain Against Germany
Declares Magazine

"The Masses" monthly magazine
now being circulated throughout the
country by express because 1t lost the
uso Of the mails, issued its October
number yesterday with a leading edi-
torial by Max Eastman, the editor en-
titled president Wilson's Letter to the
Pope." The editorial attributes the
Presidents willingness to state peace
terms to the Pope TO the growth Of
pacifst sentiment. 1t adds:
perhaps the Presidents reason for
waiting was that he wanted to lend
enough money and guarantee enough
support to the Allies so that he would
be in a position to tell them what their
peace terms were to be. If that was the
reason. we make our bow to him as the
most astute and really powerful states
man Of the world, and we give thanks
that no really likes peace better than
war"
Says Wilson Changed Face
The editorial declares that the Presi-
dent hrd adopted "the whole animus OF
the British war on Germany" and mad
abandoned every elevated and just ideal
and purpose that had been expressed by
him in his Peace without Victory mes
sage" II then continues:
ave know the sinister egotism of the
imperial classes in Great Britain, and
we fear them when we contemplate the
future Of the world only a little less
than we fear the German autocracy.
We were amazed at the foolhardy sup
port that our friends were giving to a
government apparently unconscious Of
this danger-uIconscious too. of the
rights Of it's citizens to know what they
were fighting for, willing to blindfold
its eyes and swallow all the partisan
sentiment blather Of wartime patriot
ism. We were amazed and We were
outraged that this thing could be done
in the name Of democracy.
"These things are considerably al
tered by the Presidents letter 10 the
Pope. In that letter he does declare,
as we demanded, that ne will enter into
peace negotiations as soon as he can
treat with a government responsible 10
the people"
All the sentiments expressed in the
Presidents letter to the Pope are then
attributed TO the influence of the paci-
fists. u
But perhaps the reason that ne
finally made this declaration was that
we pro Germans and traitors names
which now merely signify people who
insist upon using their brains) COM
PEELED him to. The agitation conducted
by the Peoples Council was more wide
spread. more rapid moving and more
determined than anything Of its kind
have ever seen. II was a startling no.
tico 10 the government that the Amer
lean people could not be led TO this
war without plain spoken guarantee
of the purposes for which the war was
being fought. The Presidents letter 20
tho Pope was published two days be-
fore the Peoples Council was 10 con-
vere. In that letter he yielded our
original and our chief demand. II may
De lndJ lHe GCOple COUNCIL was IN
large measure the cause of the word
ing of his letter-in which case We
make our bow TO ourselves"
Peoples Council Has Magazine
"The Dawn scml-monthIy maya
zine, was issued yesterday by James
Waldo Fswcett. of the Peoples Coun-
Gil. 1t is devoted chiefly to anti-war
articles by pacfists.
Alexander Harvey. referring 70 the
trial of persons accused OF distribut-
ing pamphlets in favor of a repeal Of
any particular statute" says:
Nothing you can do or say can make
the administration Of justice in the
Federal courts of New York more of q
roaring farce than It is"
jeremiah 0Desry. publisher of
Bull" an snti-British monthly maya
zine. yesterday brought suit in the
Federal court for an injunction to re-
strain Postmaster Thomas c. Patten
from further carrying out an order Of
the Postoffice Department to deny the
magazine the use of the mails.