New-York tribune., 1918-03-15

l wrote another article, in which I con-
tended that it was mistake to overesti-
mate what our troops in the field could do
were doing. For confirmation of this l
turn again to the reliable Mr.. Green, who
wrote only recently: Careful balancing Of
what know about public opinion in the
United States and the current and probable
status Of the Western front establishes to
my satisfaction that the American people
expect too much too quickly. And, in my
opinion, am not unsupported by Americans
in France who are in close touch with con-
ditons attending the on both sides of
the North Atlantic"
Again, the same writer says "I
truthfully say from my recent minglng
with the man on the street and in the rail-
road train in the United States that our
people believe we have a much larger force
in France than has landed"
1t is not the fault of the army in the field
or its leaders that we are not yet consd-
cradle military factor. 1t may not be the
fault of the War Department that have
not as many men in France the people of
America believe, but it is the fault of the
War Department and the Committee on
Public Information that overestimates of
what we are doing have been encouraged.
The censorship in France has almost al
ways been willing to pass any fool story
was permitted to describe the first Ameri-
can patrol as if it were military achieve
ment. In fact, the paper which received it
headed the story american Troops Go Over
the Top Another correspondent was per-
mtted to say, "We must get those five
million Sammies into the line as soon as
possible entirely irrespective of the fact
that we didn't have five million Sammies
And more recently woman correspondent
had a story passed about an American who
rushed a German machine gun, put one
gunner out Of action by hitting him in the
jaw with a rock, kicked the other into in
activity and returned with the machine gun
over his shoulder.
Complacency Does Harm
All such stories, which tend to foster the
idea that Che American soldier is already
the best in the world, do harm They in
duce complacency in regard to what we
have done in military way and can do in
the near future. The Secretary of War and
the Committee on Public Information seem
to believe that America will do its best in
the war if it sees rather more Of the bright
side of things than of those which are not
going so we'll Indeed Secretary Baker, in
one of his weekly communiques, placed his
emphasis on British success at Passchen-
daele Ridge at q time when the Germans
and Austrians we're .sweeping all before
them in the Italian drive
One of the first rules of the American
censorship was that there must be no
criticism. In the early days we were not
even permitted to say that the American
soldlers dld not have enough smoking to-
bacco. | think America will fight best if i
is worried. and think America has no right
to be anything else but worried as long as
Germany is ahead in the war Not onlv has
the official propaganda been harmful in
america, but, to my mind it has been harm
1ul IN Germany. The Germans continually
say that America is bluffing and thew be-
ileve that sincerely. Of course, the most
effective disproof Of this must como in +ho
field, but it will also help if the War Do
partment and the Committee on Public J,-
formation never give out story of what
we arc going to do, but confnc themselves
exclusively to conservative statements of
Wha1 we nave done. The recent story from
""S"'hg'on Tor instance. that in wear or
Tess we would hold q hundred miles of limo
was harmful because, obviously, it was a
CONJECTURE. 1t could not take account of
all the possible happenings of a wear
The fact that Mr. Creel has dono q crocs
inIust1ce to me hurts nobody but me and
Mr. Creel. Probably it hurts me most. Crecl
is harmed only in his immortal soul fnd
IL nara to wait until Judgment day for sat-
lsfaction. At the same time. do not doubt
the sincerity Of Mr. Creel. althourh 7 +h;rL
he is doing the country an i'll service NV
seeking to create condition Of com
p'acencc. 7 believe it is too soon for tho
canonlzation ot the War Departments Comc
10 think Of it now. don't think William
N""''o'p" ,iears' is doing the country good
service either HEYWOOD ppOrrN
D ~