New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-06

He and "The Morning FosI represent mat
minnie fraction Of "Die Hards" who feel the
tide floating them down the beach and try
N djo their heels into the sand The viii Of
Tho British people is for settlement OF the
irish question. There is no hatred OF Ire
land among the masses Of the community. The
desire o. the average Englishman is TO Be
lst alone and 70 let other people alone
Alv.vs d. IS necessary 20 End out whether
statement Of opinion represents the mass
consciousness, or whether il - spoken from
rersonal bitterness and class interest. | can
quote Leo Maxse. who writes IN his ma
4ional Review: There is nothing in con-
mon between the standpoint Of the civilized
mart Of Europe and the United States" But I
am quoting a shrill and lonely voice. The
mass of people in England are as unconscious
If America as the Middle West is unconscious
o. England. They are not scornfui nor an
.agoai.ac They are Indifferent with the
,,-,o Ind ference Of ignorance. In the sec.
ION Of the English community VINO are aware
Of the United States as the big show 10
ouote Broad street cotton broker, there
i little resentment and much good will. The
Tommy" the farmer, the shopkeeper, when
no meets the individual American, has the
tolerance Of his kind Cor all alien folk tina,
come from some other country than his own
They all seem a little strange 70 him, bat
they are call right He includes the Amer.
can with the Australian and the Welshman.
Spirit Of Devotion
Public opinion. tacr. is not really con-
csr,od +. all ~Ith cXtermiHating German
clerks. depressing Irish peasants annoying
American business men. It is not out 10
govern the world nor rule backward races
What arc its concerns?
It's main concern at the moment Is to 20
through a bad JOB to the end 20 win vie.
,orv in order 10 have lasting peace. Eng
1isbmen hate war. and they were first aston
;sbed then irritated, and finally angry that
any nation should let loose hideous slaush-
ter into fairly peaceable world. Ihey we're
slow to believe German methods Of fright
tulness. could get a hearing, but little
crodonce. in the carly months for the atroei'
tios I had witnes cd. A good-natured skep
ticism was the response. But once thorough
~ in a nasty business. they are now deter
mined to see il through. They will hang on.
II ia hard for them TO pry loose when they
have taken hold. When their clutch has su-
tomatically clicked and got set, there seems
70 be no device in the machinery for setting
.tself free. And that offers the chance tor
the imperiaists. with their spheres OF innu-
cnce" and territorial claims, 70 turn what
WAS idealistic in the early purposes OF the
Young men to their own advantage. why
shouldn't England take a bit, in return for
tho sacrifice ," one hears this idea OCCASION
ally expressed. This is not the will OF Eng.
land The vast majority went into the war
in a shirt Of devotion. and they wish to
come cut of it as clesn-handed and clean
minded as they entered.
There is a powerful peace movement not
representing anything approaching a major
ity. It is In fact a small fraction Of the ee~'
munity, but call it powerful because 1t ws''
ries the authorities. and because it is grow
ing. though very slowly. The impression
which Mr.. Trevelyan has given to America
OF widespread desire for an immediate
peace-a desire muzzled from expression Dy
the authorties--is false.
Socialism and Feminism
The next concern of public opinion is with
the internal situation. The mind OF the man
belonging to the upper possessing class b"
become accustomed to change. For ger
Grafton he has felt the foundations growing
unsteady. The institutions which seemed to
him immutablc are visibly modfying-the
institutions Of property, church and marriage.
He is not in favor of the ever-spreading
change, but he has mentally accepted the
fact that change is taking place. The old
authority has passed 10 other hands, and he
is bewildered by the juggle which has trans
formed upper class rule into democrats
control. Nothing in itself now surprises him,
because the whole process is so amazing
Without protest he has seen state social
ism installed at Westminster and feminlsm
at the War Office Patiently he awaits what
will happen next. and what will come OF II
all. What has been undermined is "A GER
tain organic conception of society, the con-
ception Of the hierarchy of authorities which
dominated the Middle Ages. The old order
has been destroyed by the new ideals Of jus.
tce and liberty, beginning with religion,
passing on to politics. modifying industry
land reaching at last the private relations
of marriage and the family" These new
IDEALS have penetrated the thought Of the
community, and have gradually sought fulfil
ment in the tagging painful processes Of leg
islaton. The older type OF politician was
unable to frame such revolutionary concepts
into acts, so what has happened is the crea'
ton Of new order of civil servants What
is growing, rapidly and yet almost unob-
served by the public, is expert legislation by
permanent officials"
II is small wonder that the elderly. kindly
gentleman, whom we have taken as represent
ative of his class, is dazed by the shifting
world Of fux, where once he stood so firmly
He is on n moving sidewalk. and he is gut.
sure he ia under Uav though he him self IA