The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1917-11-01


Walter Williams of the School of Jc
The permanency and efficiency of g
League of Peace depends in final
analysis upon the body of public
opinion which gives it support. The
most elaborate and nicely adjusted in
ternational machinery breaks down
sooner or later, except it has for
motive power an informed and sympa-
thetic public sentiment A League OF
Honor is impossible of cOntinuance
save it is based upon common
knowledge as well as common ideas.
/ Neither individuals nor nations will
walk long a path in amity together
except they agree-and agreement has
understanding for prerequisite.
Peace is more nearly safe in a
democratic than in an autocratic
world Democracy is less liable than
autocracy-or bureaucracy-to be
militaristic. Fundamental in a de-
mocracy is freedom of speech, written
and spoken. There can be no
genuine and continued democracy
save with freedom of the press. 1t still
remains true as when uttered by
Macaulay that there are but two kinds
of government in the world, govern
ment by public opinion and govern
ment by the sword. Because the people
hate war and love peace, wars will be
increasingly infrequent when the
voice of the people, organized public
opinion, be comes in actuality the CON-
trolling factor in the destines of all
nations. Through free press is, in
modern times, the chief, though of
course not the only, method of express
sion of public opinion.
In one sense this hideous war vas
made by the worlds press. If the
journalism of Europe had been for
century free to publish the news un-
colored by government influence or
dictation, if it had been free to dis
cuss in public the Vaccinations of
of secret diplomacy, this frightful
strife would not have come. Certainly
national antagonisms were increased
and racial hatreds embittered by the
international news served out from
official or semi-official sources, by the
Wolff Agency in Germany, Reuters in
England, the Havas in France, the
Correspondent Wilhelm in Austria,
the Stefanie in Italy, the Ministry of
the Telegraph frankly official-in
Russia, the KOksai in Japan and others
in other lands. The international
news thus circulated was seldom the
actual truth-it was what the govern
ment wished the people of their own
nations and the governments and peo-
pie of other nations to think was the
truth. Many others than Bismark
manipulated the editorials and the
news dispatches. Nor has the tribe
disappeared from earth. War took
place in the open because-thanks to
an enslaved and complacent press
the preparations therefor were carried
on in secret. Censorship was an ac-
cessory before the colossal crime of
war even if it was not a principal in
bringing it about.
To remove the constant recurring
danger of strife between nations
there is needed a national and inter-
national free press. Suspicion and
jealousy and national antagonism are
largely founded upon ignorance. 1t is
what we do not know in our neighbor
nation that we fear. 1t is what he does
not understand regarding us that
causes distrust and dislike. If the
people of the nation knew the hopes,
life interests of other
nations were free to learn
would nevertions, were free to learn
from a free press, many present
causes of strife would never exist. The
friendship between Canada and the
United States, friendship that made
forts or armed guards up
on boundary lines. has resulted in |
large measure from an exchange of !
the peoples thoughts, knowledge by
each nation of the public opinion !
which determined the policies of the |
other. nation. This has been possible |
because of a press circulating free on