The Washington herald., 1920-02-16
In the Linelight
By George Perry Morris.

-
The mortality among Journalists
OF the -old Guard" seems TO be
unusually high this year. T. II.
Clement. for long time editor-in-
chief Of the Boston Transcript; CID
dings. ef the Springfield Union:
Buckley. Of the New York Christian
Advocate. and Julius Chambers, OF
the New York Herald and later Of
the World and the Brooklyn Eagle
all these have passed away lately.
There Is no one OF Clements type
and all-around culture left in Bos-
ton journalism today. that Is, no one
in an important administrative post.
He had part OF his training In IN.
once of the New York Tribune I'm
its palmy days when Greeley's spirit
hovefed over II, and when white
law Reid. John Hay. William Win
ter. George Ripley and men OF that
sort were on the stan. A lover OF
literature and Of the humanities.
with considerable skill as an artist.
and a wide acquaintance among the
elite Of Boston and Cambridge.
Clement gave to the Transcript
tone" that has been one Of its as
sets. His ideals and the interests
of the owners ciashed decade ago;
they decently pensioned him instead
Of turning him on: and his lis
tener" column twice a week has been
one OF the best "causerie" depart
ments to be read.
Latin Americans will note with
sausiaction that IL Is proposed TO
include Senior Luis NJ. Draeo. former
Argentine Minister of Foreign AZ
tairs. on the committee to prepare
plans for constitution OF a hernia
nent court Of international iustics
which shall function for and win
the league OF nations.
Senor Drago loomed large at the
second Hague Conference, and co..
operating with the Brazilian iurist
and delegate. Luis Barbosa, he
forced European and American
tNorth) men of eminence in thai
Important gathering to "sit up and
take notice" Not only had this
great man knowledge of the
past history of the subjects before
the conference, but, what was more
important. he had constructive ideas
ior the future. A very distinct
variant In the practice of nations,
since known as the Drago doctrine.
ne stood sponsor for at this confer
ence.
Makers OF textbooks in history
nave their peculiarly trying Gifi-
cuitles In these days Of sectional.
national. racial and religious feudr.
Ihe line OF least resistance for them
10 follow is to be as noncommitaI
as possible on disputed questions.
only thus can general circulation
, and use in the public schools he
won The author of a general hjsto-
ry. by the name OF Myers, presum-
ably p. ", resident of Cincinnati,
is in hot water in New Brunswick
because the new edition of his book
in its reference to the World War
gives what the local school autno--
tiles deem undue credit to the
United States and too little to Cam
ada and the Provinces. TIE Issue
has been carried UP to the pub b-ish-
ers and the author; and the contro-
i'versy may lead to a stoppage of
sales in the Dominion Mr. Myers
must have had prior ea,erience
with just such uprisings. The net
result OF the protest is that pupils
in schools ultimately will not have
anything that Is more than truth
locally or provincially defined. Most
school histories now used in the
public schools Of the. Cnite1 States
are quite colorless when IL comes
to deal with the big facts Of nation
al history, politically or economical
ly considered.
william Phillips. Assistant Sec
retary of State, who is scheduled
to take the post of Minister to
the Netherlands. is one Of a GROUP
OF Harvard men who. during the
early years Of the century under
the Indictment OF a policy in the
Department OF State regnant prior
to the Bryan regime. decided to
make diplomacy their career. They
had wealth and social position
They were convinced that they
could serve their country well that
way; and they had pledges that n
they worked their way up the lad
der from the lower posts then they
in time would get adequate re-
wards. Mckinley, Roosevelt and
Taft had q vision of a better diplo-
matte service and were willing to
help create IL. Many OF these men
have fallen by the way. Uncle Sam
has not kept his pledge. Mr.. Phil
| lips has been constant where others
have been impatient. Holla I'D. for
variety of reasons. Is to be an
| important capital during the next
! few years. The Hague will be a
| good base Of operations for an ex-
pert to go out from and retreat TO.