The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-09-15
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
AN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER

AN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER
The Portland Oregonian is easily
the leading daily newspaper of the
Pacific coast. 1t has always stood
for the upbuilding of the northwest
and for all things American. 1t is
republican in politics, but first of all
it is American, placing Americanism
ahead of party or any other interest.
The Oregonian stands for America
and American interests first.
Recently the newspapers of the
United States were offered General
Ludendorff's Town story of the war"
A syndicate had bought the manu-
script of the head of the German
army, in what was purported to be
true story of German intrigue and
crime. Many newspapers bought the
story. 1t was offered to this paper
for $500 and the offer was accomp-
anied by the announcement that it
was a true story, Shielding no one
and showing the plots and intrigues
of German officials" Naturally such
a story would be worth great deal
to a newspaper, and, if Ludendorff
really Gifted the lid" from German
treachery his story would be one of
the most interesting ever published.
The Portland Oregonian bought the
story and announced that its publ
cation would begin September 7. 1t
was widely advertised and readers of
that excellent newspaper looked for
ward to the first appearance of the
story with increasing interest. The
story came and The Oregonian refused
to publish it. It's explanation for
refusing to publish the story is here
given in part:
When the proof of the first chap
ter was received it was found to be
in flat contradiction of all of these
statements. That chapter was most
tion of Germany's crimes;" it was the
oft-told and oft-refuted lies; it did not
confess the crimes, but gloried in u
boat murder; and it revealed nothing
of any Importance that was not al
ready known.
The most repulsive feature of. that
chapter was the evident intent to in
sinuate certain opinions into the
American mind and the assumption
that submarine war was justified, pro-
vided it could succeed.
The following is simply repetition
of the old charge of Partially by this
nation during the time when it was
striving to remain neutral, and of the
imputation that American policy was
guided solely by sordid motives of
gain:
America has never known Germany
in time of peace, and she now viewed
us and al the events taking place in
Europe through the glasses of entente
propaganda, strengthened by her ties
of blood with England.
".America was led by economic inter-
ests even more and more to the side
of the rntente, for England had sur
rendered to her the position she had
hitherto enjoyed as the first capital
istic power in the world. The entente
was deeply in Americas debit
He goes on to write of Americas
zone sided conception of neutrality
and says:
"England's monstrous violations of |
international law at sea were only |
possible as long as America connived |
at them"
He confirms all that has been said |
of Germany's long preparation for
war and shows how much the war
lords relied on cultivation of pacifism
and pro-Germanism in America by
saying:
"In a conversation at the foreign Of
flee several years before the war /
was assured that America would |
never agree to such tactics. We reck-
oned with certainty on unlimited i'm
ports through Holland"
Then we have ip the Ludendorff
apology the whole military theory of
the war restated with full assumption
that it is founded on fact, and with
approval after Germany
Has pretended to renounce militarism.
It revamps the old plea that the
United States was unneutral and was