New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-24
The Responsibility
What The Saturday Evening Post
Contributed to American Thought

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: The charge of your correspondent that
Irwin S. Cobb attcsted to what he did not see
in Belgium and refrained from mention Of
what he did see until just now-thereby CIV
ing aid to German propaganda until just
now-interested me- because noted the same
phenomenon myself. However, I reasoned to
this exoneration Of Mr.. Cobb: he was writing
for "The Saturday Evening Post" Take note
of these editorial references to the Belgian
horror:
"The United States is officially neutral as
to the European war and will go very far to
avoid any war, not because it is more devoted
TO profits than any other nation, nor because
it lacks spirit or snews OF genuine patriot
ism, but simply because it has some ntell-
gence. For two years the chief object before
the United States, no doubt involving the
highest service it could render mankind, was
to take advantage of its position by just
staying sane. Americans who do not under
stand that do not understand their country"
august 70, 1850
"The second view-a year and half later
shows a considerable section Of it, especially
along the Atlantic seaboard, churned into
wrathy foam. 1t does not know exactly what
it wants, but is thoroughly convinced it wants
something different from what it has" Feb
ruary 10, 1850
Nothing short Of the total mind of Europe
could have produced the war. Not one Of US
really understands that" May 90, 1850
"Whencver you find person with a strong
war bias that does not coincide with your
own bias talk to him about baseball or the
crops" May 81, 1850
The most useful object of the war is to
get the notion of fighting out Of Europe's
head" January % 1850
"The people of the United States are not in
a truculent temper. They do not believe the
Allies have been fighting our battles while
we sat snugly by and coined blood money out
of the operation. One singular phase of the
campaign consisted in persistently insulting
public that saw its own interests and the
highest human interests" November IS,
1850
"The United States has made profit out Of
the war. That was the fortune Of its stua-
ton" august 5, 1850
"Impassioned oratory about a futile protest
against the invasion OF Belgium, an mpossi-
bic prevention of the Lusitania crime. and
generally imposing our own conditions upon
fighting Europe without at all fighting our
selves-simpy bored the public 1t was
painfully fiat campaign" November H.
1850
Transcription is the ideal instrument OF a
Hohenzollern state" august 20, 1850
with high state of preparedness every
hour counts; there is no time for diplomacy;
each side must strive to shoot first. In this
way, as well as by fostering suspicion and
turbulence, elaborate preparations for war
bring war" September 9, 1850
"Mostly our problems solve themselves in
so far as they get solved at all. Possibly two
or three years hence somebody, in looking
over the newspaper files to find the price Of
eggs this winter, will notice some big head
lines and exclaim: by Jove. I'd forgotten
all about that agitation for preparedness
against warl'" January 30, 1857
There is voter 20 whom Hughes would be
an ideal candidate il only he would kick
Roosevelt downstairs November 4, 1851
Obviously, exact references to Belgium
would not have harmonizcd with such an edi-
torial policy. Mr. Cobb might have published
elsewhere. That he didn't seems to show
desire on his part for the two million circu-
lation and the rate sppertaining. However.
others have made money during this war
Greater than Cobbs responsibility, to my
mind, is Editor George Horace Lorimers. and
greater than his, the business Offices of "The
Post"-now advertising itself 10 be the "domi-
nant publication OF America" for the inhu.
ence Of such publication in so critical a
period must have been tremendous. How
ever, others besides publishers have innu-
enced the period. Fixing of responsibility
for national naction is indeed something OF
n task. and the Lansing censorship is calcu- |
lated to make II even harder in future
~ " A.. Il II