Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-21

- ~ II NaAA
zatlon or anything or anybody but our
selves. There are only two motives for
entering upon any war, offensive or de-
fensive. If we had been the altruists
our public speakers and sentimentalists
generally make us out, we should nave
rushed as one man to the defense or
France and Belgium in 1914 but, as a
matter of fact. It took President Wilson
and a body of Intelligent publicists three
years to educate the American people
into the understanding of what German
conquest in Europe would mean to the
liberties of the United States. When we
finally woke up and rushed into war,
IL was to save our own skins"
The ironic visage Of my host relaxed
visibly, but he raised his eyebrows.
Yes, but those things are not said,
you know"
Time to Tell Truth
us It not time they were?" I, asked.
I'VE are supposed to change for the bet
ter, to favor reforms Of every kind, to
welcome with enthusiasm the liberation
OF oppressed peoples. why does truth
alone remain in bondage? Wouldn't life
really be made easier, events move more
swiftly, If we dropped the Circumlocu-
tory and adopted the direct method?
Life Is a wild rush nowadays, and polite
lies are actual stumbling blocks. Be-
sides, think how much sooner the peace
congress would end"
He demurred, but It was noticeable
that we passed an entirely amicable
hour, and for the first time he did not
leave me to his wife with almost audible
relief.
In Paris all the newspapers together
so strict are the conventions, to say
nothing of restrictions-do not give n
as much news in weeks as the
PUBLIC LEDGER gives its readers in n
day. The correspondents have to dig
around in all directions to get any real
news at all. We know that in the depths
of certain vast buildings in Paris these
private conferences regarding the future
geography of the world are going on all
the time, but one must even make a
shrewd guess as to the building.
If we were really modern. If we were
not still Anticipated as carbon n
kaiserdom, there would be a concrete
peace table out In the great hall of the
palace at Versailles, where all the cor
respondents of the world would sit just
behind the plenipotentiaries, and to
which as many of the Intelligent public
would b admitted as the hall could &C
commodate. It would be highly inter-
| eStlnE 10 near THESE great iltil Siaiibe
their minds in public and tilt and win
and lose. But the only way to obtain a
new method for diplomacy Is to coin an
other word for the business.
Language n Real Barrier
Perhaps IL we could bring ourselves to
make a fetish Of truth we might also rid
ourselves Of another delusion-the
brotherhood of man and the interna-
tionalization OF races. Peoples of the
same language and traditions may ANAL
gamate in course of time, such as Great
Britain and the United States, but the
barrier of language means implacable
racial differences as well. There may be
friendship and comfy, but 10 real inti-
macy.
1 was much struck with this fact on
the night of the Presidents arrival. when
ell Paris was out in the streets cele-
brating. The French were dancing.
throwing confetti. and rollicking gener-
ally with the abandon of children. but
only here n there was an American
playing with them Everywhere in the
dark masses of French people one saw
islands OF khaki-American and British
soldiers intensely interested, but almost
i~mmovable. The three races may fight
shoulder to shoulder with deepest mt
tual respect, admlratlon, ana sympathy,
but they cannot play together, for only
the French are unselfconscious 1t takes
a strong stimulant to break down the
natural reserve Of the Anglo-Saxon, but
the French use their lighter emotions tc
play with, and are as little bothered
about the attitude of the spectator as
children in the park.
This Is but one of the infinite number
of sides of the infinitely complex, subtle
character of the French people, and the
only way we nay ever hope to under.
stand it is to marry as many of 1t as
possible. I am told that 10000 of oul
young men have married French girls, Il
Is a pity that 1t is not 100, 900. If hal
the American people could marry hal,
the French people, we should have II
two generations such a race as the worlc
has never seen.