The Washington herald., 1917-04-07
How the Editors Are Viewing
America and the World War


circumstances remarkably advantageous
the opportunity came to him Of expressing,
as II has been given to few OF his time
or of any time: the unified sentiment Of
his country. Looking backward 1t IL
possible for those who were most i'm
patient to see now that the steps which
they at intervals urged him to take
would have been premature, and that It
would then have been impossible for him
to go nearly as far as the nation on Mon
day was insistent that he should go.
-
His election brought to one great ele-
ment OF the population the conviction
that. at the proper time. he would call
a halt to Prussian ruthlessness: to an
other the conviction that he would sacri-
flee everything, even the nations treas
ured ideals. for an unstable peace. The
time has been. since the election, when
some of those who had supported as well
a1 some OF those who had opposed him
In the campaign. all but shook their fists
In his face. charging him with weakness
or duplicity, or both.
1t speaks well for the manliness of the
people that men of note. editors and pri-
Vate citizens who. only n week ago,
found 1t difficult to express with salts
Tying harsi.ness the distrust. even the
contempt. with which they regarded the
Presidents policy are now, without any
attempt at concealment or reserve. con-
Tossing themselves i'll the wrong and Of
fcring hearty and grateful tribute to the
craftsmanship he has displayed.
The Rude Awakening.
philadelphia Ledger)
In its ultimate effect on the war, the
junction OF Russian and British Meso-
! potamar forces, officially announced In
London yesterday. Is of the highest inn
| portance. Ever since prospects of Teu-
! ton advance on the western front began
to dwindle Germany has cultivated her
! dream of eastern domination. The fall OF
! Bagdad furnished rude awakening. but
! hopes were still entertained of a Turkish
! counter-offensiVe that would prevent joint
/ action by Russian troops from Persia and
Gen. Maude's forces moving up the
! Tigrts. Now the c:y OF Berlin to Bag
| dad rings as false as a cracked bell
I Furthermore. Turkey is today in danger
not only OF losing her entire Mesopota-
/ mian vilayet, but also Syria. Anatolia and
even Asia Minor. 1t is even possible that
/ a Russo British army may eventually at.
| tack Constantinople from the East. as did
| Its last captor. the great Ottoman Mo-
manned II. in 1853 There is plenty OF
| historical precedent to show that great
| wars are not always decided by what are
! commonly regarded as their major opera
/ lioHs. NdIOleOn nlnSelf cOnIeSSe0 tnal
! II was not so much Waterloo that wrought
| his downfall as the tremendous drain or
| his men and resources eXacted in Spain
| where Wellington led his eXpeditionar ~
| forces fer from the scene OF the centra
! Eurofean shamblcs. beaten Turkey
! an AsiatiC dream shattered may provoke
| reasonahl" German peace proposals long
. BEFORE "Htente troo1s ever enter Berlin
College Boys Are Patriots.
baltimore Americanl
| There Is hardly n prominent university
or college I'm the United States that ha $
not organized a military company Of stu
dent and teachers Thouraude Of stu
dents have been drilling during the past
three or four weeks. Even the women's
/ colleges are mobilzng for Red Cross
, scrvic" or for some other line Of militant
duty. Hopkins students have been drill
ing for some time. and so also at Col
umbia. Yale. Harvard. Princeton and all
the big universities of the East. The
| University Of Virginia opened an enroll
ment bureau for students on April T. and
/ on the first day 4G0 students enlisted 80
do their bit for the country in the ma
tional emergency"
This rush OF the college boys to the
flag is full Of inspiration. 1t speaks mag
nificentlv the spht OF America. They
are the young men of light and lead
ing: they are the men who will have
much to do with shaping ideals in this
big republic of the West during tn. Hqtt
century that lies ahead and so OF sha p
ing world destiny. For, whether We will
or no, this United States Is mixed in
with world destiny. not only for the near
future. but for all time.