American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-01-22

American delegation to the interallied
council. When this move was pro-
jected. the newspapers began to dis
cuss the need for sending men who
IA commanding ability would fitly re-
present the republic and would be
capable Of contributing effectively TO
the vital negotiations. No one dared
hat Theodore Roosevelt, pre-
eminently the man TO head such a mis-
sion. would be selected. but II was
hoped that the administration would
rise far enough above petty consider
ations to choose big. representative
Americans Of the type of Elihu Root,
william n. Taft, Senator Lodge and
Leonard Wood.
But In the first hint OF such sugges-
lions, word came from Washington
hat speculation was distasteful. and
hat the public should trust the pres
ident. " relying upon him to send men
worthy OF the great task. And the
result was the appointment Of a mis-
sion made up Of hopeless mediocrites.
Its status may be judged from the fact
that its one figure OF prominence was
a politician from a small town in
Texas. 10 whose genius the country
owed the settlement of the Mexican
trouble, and whose reports from Eu-
rope during the first two years of the
conflict convinced President Wilson
that the United States was being kept
out OF war" by a policy Of submission
to Germany.
FlambOyant, Untruthful Reports.
But suppression OF facts and of crit
icism was not the worst phase Of the
system to which the newspapers, from
sentiments of patriotism, sacrificed
their judgment. Day after day they
gave publicity to flamboyant an
-nOuncements and boastful predictions
which they knew to be baseless or
grossly exaggerated. There were OPP
en- to them only two cOurses-to print
these deceptive prOclamatiOns without
comment, upon the ground that they
had official Endorsement and could
not be challenged without injury to
the government; or TO expose and de-
nounce their palpable a%bsurdity. The
newspapers followed the former
course. because patriotism required
II; thus IL was that the public was
lulled into security by official tales of
marvellous celebrity in army organiZa-
ton and equipment; of new weapons
that were to teach Europe the arts of
war. of miraculous motors, of sub
marine chasers by fleets, aeroplanes by
scores of thousands and shipping by
millions OF tons, all of which still re-
main to be produced.
Perhaps the most humiliating thing
asked Of the newspapers was the
printing of the utterly puerile "strate-
gical review" issued weekly by the
secretary of war. with it's grossly in
accurate statements and misleading
Interpretations. which represented
Germany as helpless at a time when
every news dispatch showed her pre-
pairing deadly blows, and dismissed
the Italian disaster as a trifle without
any bearing upon the general situa-
tion.
Thus the position of intelligent, pa
triotic newspapers was becoming in
t%olerable. They knew the meaning of
the allied reverses; they knew that
the time had come when the checking
OF Germany depended upon the speed
with which the United States took its
place in the war; and they knew that
months must elapse before the mis-
managed forces Of this country could
hNA ~ q hARNH NY WIZ NAAAt
they must soon choose between pro-
t%ecting official incompetence and deal
ing candidly with the American peo-
pie. ever at the risk of %discreditins
the administration.
And recognition of this emergency
had no small part in forcing the in
quiry now being held. Congressman
returning to Washington had been
a r,tt..I hWr ~, Inflammation, -I....
in confidence from their home papers
and from the correspondence received
from camps by their constituents
they knew that il congress did not re-
veal the truth and seek to eradicate
fragrant evils. nothing could prevent
an outburst which might cause grave
harm through lack of official informa-
ton and control. and which would be
the more violent because the conceal
ment Of true conditions had given
FEASIBILITY to every sinister fable cir
culated by German spies and sympa-
thizers.
Obviously. nothing else is compar.
able in urgency to the need of supply.
ing clothing for |shivering troops. de.
cent care for the sick. and weapon.
for the forces at the front or in train.
ing. But IN the long run an accom-
plishment of greater Importance is tn,
emancipation of the newspapers from
the obligation of supporting and pro
tecting official incompetence.
With the press ungagged and a dis
honest censorship discredited. the pub
lie will not be stupeded again by thu
waves OF bOastful and deceptive poi
son gas" from Washington. but vii
have a clear understanding of the wa.
and will be able to scrutinize az leas
the general system of management
Once the agencies Of publicity hav,
resumed effectually their normal fuUc
tions. the evils of Bakerism and Gro
zierism will be doomed. and the sac
rihces Of the Anlerican people will b.
translated into real measures OF ma
tional defense.-Philadelphia Nortl
American.