New-York tribune., 1918-02-28
What to Think

Il ITO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
4 1.-The Independent has the
I honor to announce that it has
I been authorized to present each
4 week message from the
1 United States government to
4 the American people,
/ The above announcement is made in its
current issue by "The independents q
weekly journal published in New York
8 City, at 119 West Fortieth Street.
For the information of our readers, we
may state that "The Independent repre-
/ sents survival of several enterprises,
now defunct, viz:
"Harpers Weekly" founded 1857.
"The Chautauquan," founded 1880.
''The Countryside Magazine and Subur
ban Life" founded 1904.
1t is published by "The Independent
] Corporation Mr.. Karl Y S. Howland,
1 president.
! The price OF The magazine is 10 cents
| copy; 81 for one year.
AT all newsstands.
''The Independent announcement is
I so Unusual and, we believe, so important
f that we give it verbatim:
"The Weekly Message of the United
4 States Government to the American people
\ which "Ihe Independent inaugurates on
q page 234 of this issue begins the most i'm
B portant national service that we have ever
I been privileged to offer Week by week in
4 our pages the GOVERNMENT viii talk over
/. with the people the work that is being done
8 and the plans that are being made to carry
f the to successful end
q "These articles will be written by the
( chairman of the Committee on Public In
& formation, MR.. GEORGE CREEI, appointed
& by President Wilson, and they will present
+ first hand the information that is imme-
I diately vital to the welfare of the American
{ people. Here the problems that we
f must think through, the lessons we must
learn. For again to quote President Wilson:
s "'The whole nation must be q team in
f which each man shall play the part for
f which he is best fitted. We must all speak
act and serve togethcr''
Il This governments talk with the peo-
( pie" through its accredited vehicle in New
York City is, we feel, SO unusual, and as
est that we hasten to reprint it in full,
without even waiting for permission either
from "The Independent" or Mr.. Creel or
"the government itself. 1t will be found
in an adjacent column.
In the 129 years of its existence this is
q the first time, so far as we know, that THE
4. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED
STATES has seen fit to designate a pri-
vate or corporation owned newspaper as
its Official Mouthpece
H The innovation is interesting.
1t is so interesting that we wish to
quote from the leading article, which ap-
pears just below this "Important An
nouncement." 1t bears the caption:
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP: YES AND
WHY.
individual ownership has no interest
to conserve anything. Every impulse char
acterstc of it. and of the intense connet;-
s3 eioh Which IL eHgenuefS, makes for waste
fulness. The economists know this and
have long been saying it. The proletariat
knows it and says it, The sober second
thought of the bourgeoisie will presently
IF admit it.
"These considerations are driyinc the
Fl nations irresistibly toward public owner
81 ship, and they are backed up by the con.
IL sideration of justice. The resources of the
Il earth belong of right to all mankind, and
4 the masses OF mankind will not indefinitely
4 permit them to be monopolzed and exploit.
4 f>>ed by the few.
] at is the conviction of THE Independent
that the time has come to face these con.
siderations squarely. The extension OF
public ownership ought to come, and it will
come"
This unqualified declaration of state
socialism, coming Immediately next tC
the announcement of it's designation as the
official apologist and spokesman of the Ad
ministration, through the Presidents next
friend, the eminent reformer Mr.. George
Creel will, we are sure, be read by al
astonished nation with the deepest in
terest.
The juxtaposition is, of course, acci-
dental.
AS to the weekly messages, it will be OF