Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-19

| It doesn't start your liver and straight
ten you right up better than Calomel
man strength. In these papers, too,
were challenges against our civil au-
thority and order, to which the dec
| larations of war against our social
order was Joined.
/ watched this development with
deeply wounded patriotic feelings.
These were serious warnings to take
| care, lest grave damage should be
done to our fighting capacity, a Meme
Tekel for the moral strength of the
German people, and thus. too, of the
German army. All this lay plain for
our enemies to see and much besides,
and they no doubt gladly drew the
inevitable inference therefrom.
The Great Change From 1914.
In August. 1914, the whole press
fully convinced, had ranged itself on
the side of the war of defense, and
had uttered fine words of determine
ton as to the necessity of CARRYING
the war to a successful issue. Unfor-
tunately, there was later a change of
tone in part Of the press. 1t failed to
realize that such a war of defense
could not be ended by a peace of
understanding, but only through vic
tory, unless we were to be defeated
and become the victims of unbearable
conditions.
AS with the government and the
people, so also in this part of the
press, the thoughts of an understand
ing with the enemy grew stronger
than the thoughts of victory, with all
dnf de-, ~, aI,,as L.,
fering people. Many of the most
widely circulating papers became the
prophets of the new outlook, based
on the reconciliation of the peoples.
They attacked violently those who
were unwilling to believe in the enc
my's readiness for peace, or. at any
rate, were unwilling to weaken our
own fighting strength, until the enc
my had given some irrefragable proof
thereof; they attacked, too, those who
thought it accordingly necessary to
keep their swords as sharp and the
arm that welded it as strong as was
possible.
Doubt of Victory Sown.
In this connection another idea was
put forward, that the war could never |
be ended by a military decision-that !
is to say, by force of arms. No doubt |
the cooperation of the government |
was required to enhance the effect of |
the military successes. But the last |
word rested with the mass of the |
population, there was no doubt.
Were people really so ignorant of |
the enemy's real desire to destroy? |
Did not they understand the mind !
and the speeches of Lloyd George |
or a Clemenceau? Why fight an
other battle if it is really unnecessary |
to achieve victory or to escape de-
feat? Had they no idea of the state
OF mind of the man who has to leave
his home. his wife and children, his
secure post. and to undergo hardship
and danger, If it is after all useless,
If he is merely risking the future of
himself and his family?
Could one not understand the man
who. in continual danger, alone on a
dark night in muddy crater area,
has to work forward to some point
where hell awaits him, or the man
who is due tomorrow for the long
awaited leave, and who today has to
go on fighting, and perhaps to die?
Ideas were thought out that were to
bless the world, thoughts ran far into
the future, and the hard reality of
the present was forgotten. No one
the agony of conscience
Of the soldier who had to risk his
life.
We were thinking of every imagin-
able thing; We ought to have been
of the war alone
Press Could Have Been Led.
The press lacked the single guild
ance which was so remarkable with
me enemy. Unled. it could easily
become, not merely useless, but nos
lively a dangerous weapon of war.
That this was not the case in purely
military questions, but that. on the
contrary. 1t followed in noteworthy
manner the instructions given to it.
S PROOF or its readiness to submit
% firm leadership based on mutual
rust.
There were, It is true, a few straw
ng sheep, but. in the main. nv re-
luest that military events should be
discussed from this or that point of
new was fulfilled. Here 1 must ex-
,ress my thanks FOR this.
me quite comprehensive efforts to
atisfy the readers craving for novelty
ometimes resulted in news, even of
purely military character, really ex-
lusiVeiy designed to further the aims
u enemy propaganda, finding its way
nto our press from neutral or enemy
ources. When one adds the sensa-
ional padding and heading of such
ews that is so dear to a section of
ur press, then our enemies could not
esire better helpers in their propa-
anda work.
1t Is not in my nature to seek the
auses of such stupidity in il-will or
ensatlon-mongering. Short-sighted- :
ess was often at the bottom of such
asses, and oftener still the great diff i
ulties under which the press worked, .
ne calling-up of many trained men
nrowing an undue amount of work 6
n to the editorial staff.
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