The Washington herald., 1918-09-26

| Bishop Gore. coming to US from
England. expresses the firm belief
that laboring people are to insist with
all energy that no more militaristic
displays be allowed by any country
after the present war is over.
| The effort will not have the support
alone of the laboring classes-every
class probably will give it support
quite to the limit.
| But the bishop indicates, more or
less vaguely. but rather suggestively
just the same. that the laboring
classes will resent any and all at
tempts TO have their country armed
on a reasonable basis. This step, il
| they propose to carry 1t through, will
doubtless cause some friction in af-
| fairs of several of the countries. for
! quite likely there will be powerful
| parties in all of them committed to
the policy of reasonable preparedness.
| In our own country the matter will
be an issue of tremendous proper
| tions. in some form or other. Natur-
ally, the way in which II will come
up will depend altogether on the out
come of the peace conference and the
| treaties resultant from that confer
ence. But there is the groundwork al
ready laid here for the very active
continuance of this country's affairs
on an adequately prepared basis. and
lit will be very hard indeed to per-
suade some of our leaders that such
steps are not necessary to the utmost
If We are to preserve our place in the
lworld.
l IL
been given out as yet. The President
is naturally leaving himself free to
take any position that he deems
necessary for the welfare of the world
when the time comes for making
peace-and the men who study things
| closely hereabouts agree without eX-
| ception that his attitude is easily the
most discreet OF any Of the worlds 5
rulers. As a result of it, so it can
easily be foreseen now. the President
will be in the position OF arbiter
when the time comes to settle big
| things. And this will give him ample
opportunity to work American ideals
into the peace settlements and there
fore into the affairs of all the other
countries of the world And this is
the thing most devoutly wished for
after all
what comfort do you find in the
resignation Of the Terauchian min
istry in Japan" asked a statesman
of us yesterday.
Just this-the Oriental nation is rid.
! at least, Of prime minister who
stated frankly and too brazenly, we
think. that IAN alliance of Japan with
| Ia.
Such a statement has not at any
time had the unqualified indOrse-
ment of the japanese public. we be-
lieve. Certainly. it does not reflect
the state of mind they seem to pos
| sess at the moment when they are
in the allied cause with might and
main to bring about an end of the
war.
| Widely divergent stories have
come out of Japan as to the wishes
of the people on the Russian matter
the entrance into Siberia One
story is that the cabinet was con-
tinually harassed because 1t did not
enter into the Intervention plan
with more spirit and with more men
land the other story is that the
people resented any intervention at
all.
Between these antipodal positions.
we suppose the japanese people
take some position which is based
on their desires to be of aid in the
present great world struggle.
| Japan will not suffer from the
overthrow of the Terauchian Cabi-
net. Observers of far eastern events
agree quite conclusively on this. But
whether the definite, undisputed
policies Of the empire will be clear
ly and forcibly indicated by the sue
ceeolng cabinet Is something upon
Whlch there is no agreement and in
oeeo no definite opinion uttered, it
seems, by any of the observers.
Besides 1900 savings banks In
Russia being operated by Germans
ana hundreds and hundreds of fac
tories being operated at their direc-
ton and for their benefit a consid-
cradle portion of the people seem
oent on aiding the German govern
ment all they can in the present
struggle. Not all of the population,
by any means. are engaged at this
TASK put enough of them to indicate
that chaos is not extinct in the Big
Bear country to the extent some of
our friends would have us believe.
me situation. however, does not
Justily the statement sometimes
maze hereaboutss, that IT will not
De long until Russians are actually
IN the fighting line for Germany.
rms extreme attitude for Germany
is one which the Russians will hard
~ force themselves to accept. They
went into the wretched peace agree
ment with Germany because they
did not want to fght-and it is
hardly conceivable that they win
now resume their fighting on the
side of the very power which per-
suaded them that it was both use
less and fatal for them to continue
their fighting.
Germany's hand may be PLAYED
! toward that end. There are those
at the Capitol who think this is
true. But the same observers think
II Will be impossible for the Ger
mans to convert the Russians, in
any overwhelming numbers. to the
hghting game again.