New Britain herald., 1918-10-15

Every once In so often, the Hart ford "Courant'' points with pride to the fact that it is the Oldest daily newspaper in the United States, AL though in our youth we had heard frequent reference to the old lady of State street., the significance of the phrase never dawned fully upon us until recently or to be more speci- dc, until President Wilson became our war president. Of late, However, we have noticed unmistakabIe symptoms of senility in the "Courant's" editori- al comment on the Administration methods of conducting the war, but we were totally unprepared for the display of mental infirmity and mex ible obstinacy which greeted us this morning in the form of the following editorial on President Wilson's reply to Germany:
 The public have been impa- tientIy waiting for President Will sons answer to Germany and it, appears elsewhere this morning. They would have welcomed brief, direct Unconditional Sur render. That is the sentiment of the civilized world today. The
 
 many that she can have no peace under the Hohenzollerns or ar mistice while outrages continue. It would have been more accept able if those had been the very words. He says he pointed out at Mt. Vernon the sort of an ar bitrary government that must be reduced to virtual irnpotency" and "the German nation is of the sort here described" Why con- tinue talk with it? \ notice that there was nothing doing but to reduce 1t would have been time ly. If the nation must be re- duced to impOtenCy, there is lit tie use apparent in discussing preIiminaries.
 We admit, too, that it would have sounded better to us, if the letter had not so often and dis hnctIy separated our forces from the "alIied forces" They are all fighting together and all are al- lies in common acceptance, but :, 1t may be diplomacy that phrases things thus "deftly". But, how ever the letter might be bettered, the fact is that nothing is grant ed to Germany She is told she is of the sort to be made impo- tent. which carries promise of our continuing business in the field and she is forbidden to do the rotten things she has been doing for years and will always do until she is 'impotent''. The German acceptance of the four teen terms was, of course, a mere attempt to ward off fate. It has caused an unfortunate furry, but the sentiment that it has aroused gives Germany little to hope for. She' will have to try some new peace game in her effort to divide the Allies and destroy unity of action. This does not seem easy to do with the world in it's pres ent state of mind. Another let ter, one to Austria, is promised, but there is a growing impatience of IetteF-wTiting.
 If the foregoing editorial is the product of mind grown feeble witI age, if it is the best a newspaper car do which boasts of being the oldes daily newspaper in the United States then we are henceforth unswervably committed to the theory of Dr. Osler Of all the editorial comment gleanet from a score of morning publications that of the "Courant'' is the only in stance noted of 8 withholding O. hearty commendation of Presiden- Wilson's attitude. When the "Cour ant says that the public "woult have welcomed a brief, direct, uncon ditional surrender, it is in great CT. TOT. if one is to judge by the ex