Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-18
PEACE EDITORIAL
STlRS WASHINGTON
New York Utterance Fails to
Harmonic With Fight
for Ideals.
RAISES CURIOUS QUERIES.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


' Copyright, 1918, by N. Y. Evening Post. Incl
| No single editorial in an American
newspaper since the European war
began has had such profoundly Gu
rfous effect in the National Capital. as
the outspoken expression by the New
York Times in favor of adopting the
Austrian suggestion for an unbtnd-
ing conference" with the allies on
peace terms.
President Wilson'S reply passed 2off
with the usual food of messages from
republican as well as democratic lead
ers and constituencies. but there ap-
pears to be no abatement in interest
bere as to the reasons which prompt
ed so powerful a newspaper as the
Times to follow the course that 1t did
last Monday.
It still is the "talk Of the town" +"
And anybody who knows anything
about newspapers or their policies finds
himself buttonholed everywhere by
government officials, high and low, all
of whom want to know just what was
the probable occasion for the view taken
or what it may represent.
Genuine Curiosity.
In a sense it is a tribute to the
tremendous influence which most peo-
pie in the government believe the New
York Times has exercised. not merely
with the public opinion Of the United
States, but with the leading journals
of the allied countries
In another sense it is a recognition
of the fact that the American news
papers are the single medium OF ex-
preston which the people have for tell
| ing the government their wishes from
day to day in way that will simulta-
neously reach all persons In authority
New York Times is at variance with what
it had been confidently expected here
would be the attitude of that news
paper, there is a genuine curiosity
concerning the psychology or the
Times editorial council. :
Several suggestions and theories are
advanced, and 1t is interesting to note
that the majority of them are to the
effect that the Times editorial rep
resents simply an honest difference
of opinion-another way of looking
at the world war from that which
our own newspapers have been sc
unanimously proclaiming. and view
.
by Lord Lansdowne, to the surprise
Of the British public, in his famous
plea for a definition of peace terms
On the ground that the war was be-
coming terribly destructive.
War WEAKNESS.
Those who are interested here In
sustaining the morale Of our own peo-
ule as we'll as the morale Of the allied
countries, especially in relation to oul
own stimulus Of those war-worr
countries, do not pass by such an edi.
toriai as that Of the Times with the
comment that it was simply a mistake
| Of the day, They are apt on the con-
trary to view it as the expression In
public of what sometimes Is heard In
the grumbling private conversations
of those who are inclined to look al
The tremendous material waste and
destruction of property. the economic
losses and the immense subtraction OF
human life involved in the war.
England and France have had te
combat this species OF war-weariness
and it ca9Qot be done by mere abuse
fectively here as abroad only by
iteration and reiteration Of the goa
| Tor which America is striving in hel
| crusade for democracy.
II Is the old story OF lueAllBm. Tn0f(
fiasnces aasn % Tor peace-the paciasts whe
ahbnr ali war and believe the same
obiects can be obtained by q peac.
by negotiation and the use Of mora.
force as BY the prolonged" exertior
of nhvsfcal force. and the materialisti
who are tired Of the war and its ex-
haustive processes and who argue
that what will be gained will not bl
commensurate with what will be lost
IN property and human life.
President Wilson Knew.
So far as official Washington and
the government Of the United States
are concerned there never was q time
when the tremendous sacrifices ant
losses involved were not truly an.
pro.imated. President Wilson him.
| war message, knew In April, 1917
what It would be necessary, fol
IAmcr4cA to sacrifice in order to. maxi
the world really safe for democracy
i 40 knew because he bad. .beeniwatch,
-0o0inasdoo NH 56eS1'