The sun., 1919-05-20
WAR CHANGES VIEW
OF WORLD AFFAIRS
"Ignoramus'' Shows How New
Perspective Will Benefit
International Trade.
STUDYING OTHER NATIONS
Clever Exposition of Course
People of Canada and U. S.
Should Pursue.
BY sfa6 Correspondent Of TIE SEN.

BY stor Correspondent Of tn, SEN.
OTTAWA. May 1s.-"what ignoranuses
we all arer
speak for yourself. please" said
oh. well. IL you're going to take II
that way. I'll just 60 on and speak for
you as we'll as for myself. What do you
have to say about that, nowr'
Well. when fellow-and this time n
sure enough regular fellow"--in the
House Of Commons press gallery comes
at you In that way 1t Is Just as we'll not
TO Try to be too funny with him, but to
let him be serious. II he wants to. and
hnd out what's really on his mind. SO
said:
MY dear boy, let's play that am an
ignoramus. then, IL Il will help Won 10
make your point Besides, you said ALI
were In that category. So that keeps
me from feeling too unpleasantly con-
spicuous. Let 1t go. then, that 1 am an
ignoramus; and let me ask you, What
about t?'
Now that's spoken like the good
sort that know you are" came back
my newspaper friend. "You see I've
been thinking lot lately about how
precious little any OF US know about the
other fellow-I mean in an interna-
tional sense. OF course-and 1t has been
borne In upon my consciousness that ali
this lack Of anything approaching exact
knowledge cannot fail to make for
wars and rumors Of wars and for
general fuss all along tho line How
many well informed men. for example,
could even name the Balkan States he
fore the war; And how many out OF
those who could name them could call
on their capital cities? And how many
could be sure of the languages spoken,
OF the general characteristics OF the
people. of how they lived and so on and
SO on?"
Lack of knowledge gerfous.
I began to think that I really was
an ignoranrus and not play one. and
listened attentively as my friend went
on:
The pity OF II is that this sads ack
Of knowledge is by no means to be con-
fined to our thoughts respecting far of
or small countries. Honestly. I believe
that even In the case OF two mighty
close neighbors like the United States
and Canada-speaking the same Ian
guage and large animated by the
same high ideal each could learn
much about the other and to the ad-
vantage of both. And to bring about
this better knowledge would be a mighty
good thing. wouldn't it?"
And I. getting into the swing Of my
friends viewpoint. replied to him, 1T
certainly would believe you" and /
waited for him to continue.
What Immediately touched me OF on
this outburst," said he. was the ap-
proval felt in scanning over n report,
here in my hand. OF an address made
the other day at the, University OF Mis-
souri, by one OF your veteran Journal
lists, Mr.. Karger OF Cincinnati, chair
man OF the standing committee Of cor
respondents in the Congress press gall
lery in Washington. I want to read you
some OF It:
In the halcyon days when the read
ing public was out little concerned with
the Affairs OF foreign nations and when
foreign nations seemed to know and
care but little about us, world AFFAIRS
were discussed only by the most high
browed of our Washington correspon-
dents-by those who were regarded as
holding membership in the Brain Trust.
They wrote thoughtful stories. gravely
discussing the issues that might be ne
gottated by our Minister to Rumania.
| who1 aside from the exclusive circle for
which they were writing no one had a
very definite idea as to lust where
Rumania might be.
1.-The world Affairs" we were pre-
sumed TO report revolved more naturally
about the proba bility OF getting a $40. 900
appropriation for a public building in
the homo town. The recommendation OF
tho Senators from the State for the
nomination OF Collector Of Internal
| Revenue overshadowed in Importance
| the most thoughtful and learned discus
sion OF the relations between Austria
Hungary and the Balkan States
America Awakened By War,
But with the war came the awaken
! ering of the American people to the
bearing OF world currents on the fu-
| ture and we'll being OF our country,
Public interest Qu!ckened, and news
from Washington illuminating the line
up OF the peoples OF the globe was de-
manded in the interest Of reading
public that tnstinctlvely recognized the
need OF clear thinking based on depend.
able information. The embassies and
legations, heretofore visited only by a
few OF the correspondents. who had spe-
cialiZed in foreign affairs-world az
| fairs. II you please-became the rem
devious OF large numbers OF Washing
ton newspaper men in search OF such
crumbs of information as might be
Vouchsafed them. Few of the members
OF the diplomatic corps stationed In
Washington were ready to take advan :
tage OF the opportunities offered them
They dreaded complications here and
at home.
Perhaps the first TO seize the On
pcrtunity was Count won Bernstorfr.
the Ambassador from Germany. He
was an exceedingly shrewd individual
OF pleasant personality. quick to see,
The trouble was-as subsequent devel-
opments and exposures have clearly
demonstrated-tha he used the instru-
ment thus afforded for purposes of
propaganda rather than for those of
legitimate publicity; and much OF the
information that came from him as
sumed sinister Importance when SUBJ
Jected to the test OF careful ANALYSTS
study and light from without.
The Ambassador from Great Rrit
ain, Lord Reading. first introduced thu
custom OF receiving in a body on fixed
days those correspondents who were d.
sirous OF attending the seances, And I
am prepared to testify that even IN
those trying days when Great Britain's
army stood with its back to the wall
he never faltered, never deceived, never
minimized. and never sought undulv 10
color the news or to unbalance tbe
soundness Of American opinion
Complete Change OF Vision.
Now you see whore all this Is lead
Ing us, don't your And say II is lead
ing us along a mighty good road for ali
hands. Your Mr.. Karger puts II capt.
AL (AH