Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-12
ToDAY's REGISTRATION
1t Should Have Vivid Meaning for the
Peace-Seeking German Diplomatists

contr1ved peace propaganda yesterday.
The scheme collapsed at word from
Washington. Baron Burian mournfully
seeking peace parleys at moment when
the United States is preparing swiftly
for the most powerful army ever or
ganized is sorry illustration of the
blindness and futility of Hun statesman
ship.
The news is not censored for Ger
man diplomatists. So Burian must have
spoken in desperation rather than in
hope.
When the registration places close this
evening the Government of the United
States will have material Immediately
available for an army of 100000 men.
President Wilson will actually direct the
destinies of this unexampled military Or
ganization in every instance of ultimate
Importance. Capitalization of command
is process that has been brought about
automatically in the United States.
Aside from his relation to the army,
the President is still the most powerful
man in the world at the present hour.
Congress grumbles insistently, and yet,
whenever sharp decision is to be made
the proposal for extensive dry zones
in Philadelphia is good example-the
matter is usually left "to the discretion of
the President" So the President at
word could close almost every saloon in
Philadelphia. He can, whenever he is
ready, call the men between the ages of
eighteen and forty-fve for active mill
tary service in an army over 100000
strong. There is no industry that he
is not empowered to seize, as the occasion
requires it. If the President were so
minded he could now press the war to
the complete extinction of the German
nationality. If, on the other hand he
were cowardly or emotional, he could
bring the war to a premature close.
Europe is in no mood to interfere with
Germany. And, again, Europe will, by
the very force of circumstances, be COM
PEELED to follow any lead made by the
United States.
1t is not at all surprising, therefore,
that every peace-seeking diplomatist in
Germany tunes his pipes for Mr.. Wilson's
ear, as Burian did yesterday.
The amazing thing now is to find that
in Austria and Germany there are states
men so hopelessly misled that they can
not read an answer to all their peace
feelers in the process of registration
carried on throughout the United States
today.
The neW draft lao aCds put through
Congress at the urgent request of the
President. In it's operation today this
law makes all that we have done so
far seem like merely preliminary steps in
military preparation. 1t is plain that
the nation which has President Wilson
for it's interpreter and spokesman has
but one purpose now. That purpose is
to win the war and to win it completely
and thoroughly.
The nation is properly convinced that
until the 1Uar is aUon nothing else mat
ters. For no scheme that the wisdom
of humanity might evolve for the good
of the race or the peace of the world
would be workable while Germany re-
mains unbeaten or while any vestige of
the German military system is left upon
the earth to survive and grow.
1t may be some such consciousness as
this that has caused the nation to put
into President Wilson's hand power and
authority greater than those ever be-
fore allotted to one man. Men are
registering today just as they gave up
their Sunday motor rides, as they ac-
customed themselves to two ounces of
bread at meal, as they turned out their
lights and gave up their money. This
sort of service is not for Mr.. Wilson.
or for the President, or for Congress.
The people are merely expressing their
own collective will as it is interpreted
through the Government and through a
personality which, in Mr.. Wilson's case,
happens to be singularly responsive,
sensitive and adequate to the occasion.
Provost Marshal General Crowder has
sensed this aspect of the situation. In
successive pronouncements he has ap-
pealed to men of the service age asking
that they be not too eager to fight abroad
and that they seek exemption if they
are needed at home. General Crowder
was speaking of his experience with
earlier drafts, in which claims for exemp-
tion were amazingly few.
Were Baron Burian better statesman
he would have delayed his peace move
to date on which it might have ap-
peared less fantastic.
America itself does not yet realize how
tremendous and various is the force
which it has accumulated and left to the
direction of the President. Aside from