The Washington herald., 1921-11-06
Rally for Attack on War.
Needs Backing of Public
Spirit of Adjustment and Concession Neces-
sary to Maintain Harmony Sacrifices
VIII Win Success.

how permanent that which we get
will be will depend in no small de-
gree upon the attitude of mind of
this country, whether the backing
that we give the conference Is to be
one of emotionalism or intelligence.
We are starting out with q will TO
succeed: We are going to spend our
first day praying for success II
will be we'll II we inject into those
prayers duplication for self
control, clearness Of judgment, and
willingness to use our minds as
we'll as our hearts in the struggles
that are sure to come.
Obstacles That May Arise.
Certain very definite things may
get in the way Of the success Of the
conference-things that often frus-
trate the best intentions of men. and
they are matters over which the
public and the press have at least .
certain control, things which they
can certainly make infinitely worse
unless they take q high and intelli-
gent view Of their own rssponsi-
bility.
First, let US set our faces against
scapegoats. One of the serious
Of public in a great conference sucA
as we are just entering on, II pick
ing q scapegoat. There are bound
to be periods in all human under
takings when the way 10 obscure,
when failure threatens, when 1t IL
obvious that certain things on which
we have set our hearts are unob-
tainable. Irritation and discourage
ment always characterize these Pc
RODS.
Peril In Placing Blame.
1t Is then that men take refuge in
heaping all the blame for the dit
nculties in which they ind them
selves on one particular individual
or group-in this case a nation-a
nation which everybody combines to
call obstinate, unreasonable, greedy,
a spoke in the wheel. We have seen
this thing happen in every great
peace conference Of the world. Then
comes a hue and cry, a union Of
forces-not to persuade bur to over
wheIm the recalcitrant nation, to
disgrace II, - drive It out of court.
The spirit of adjustment and OF
accommodation which Is of the very
essence of success in such an under
taking as the nations have now on
hand is always imperiled and fire.
quently ruined by fixing on a scape-
goat
It Is obvious even at this point
that this is one of the very real
dangers of the coming conference.
Use Meanness for Public Good.
This Is not to say that the nation
on which irritation and suspicion
are concentrated may not be in the
wroug-it may be. II may be deep
in evil intrigue. It may be shock
ingly greedy. But Il Is we'll to re-
member that It is part of the con-
ference and the problem has. got to
be worked out with It, and that you
work nothing out with scapegoats.
Abraham Lincoln once laid down a
principle Of statesmanship which
admirably applies to such q situa-
alton Honest statesmansnip,- ne
said, rs the employment Of individ-
ual meanness for the public good"
p In the coming conference honest
negotiations will be the employment
OF national meanness-in case such
deVelops-for the good of the world.
II takes brains, humor, self-control
to put any such rule as this in
force: but II. unhappily, the confer
ence itself does not furnish a sur
nclent amount of these ingredients
1t Is for press and public to make
good the dehcit. They are In 81
strategic position where they can
insist that everybody must be con-
sidered innocent until he is proved
guilty, that nothing be built on sus-
plclon but everything on facts
Follows Other Examples.
And something that 10 very i'm
portant to remember Is that these
tacts must be taken with the
proper historical perspective. Ger
tain things are obvious in the Pa
cine relations today that we cont
like. There is a pretty general con-
sensus Of opinion that Japan ba.
played altogether too high a hand
with China Admit It, but do M. Tor
get that it is only about sixty wears
ago. that the very nations with
"hom Japan Is now meetIn1 In
council, met with their feet, N ~.
OF her ports and used their guns 70
teach her the beauties of Christisn
She decided to learn their l.s,or.
Sne mas wonderful initiative powers
!oiIoWed them into China and n
sne mas played q higher hand tbare
Sa any one OF them-and there NAV
questlon as to hiatt should
remembered she has had only
sky years in which to learn the de-
gree OF creed that can safely n.
paelceo In our modern ciyilixaion
nat Is, that possibly she has not
nao sufficient time to learn 70 tam
erection. ois-
70 down Partisa.ship.
NO scapegoatS No huss and .r,
a. certainly no partisanship. IT,
~ Within the power Of ths aI,t.S
toFces OF this country that ara "a,
ing themselves to making this
q success. to mako ~
truiy national. to see that marty
am oitions and antipathie. INV.
nothing to. do either way vith
hesotiations. We have had xi,hIn
the last three years . terrible 'Ies-
son on the lengths to which mas
partisanship will 20 II unchecked
In wrecking even the psace OF the
world. Let us have no repetition of
that crime. II Is the business Of
the press and the public to stamp
doWn any partisan leanings that
snow their ugly heads In the oon-
ference.
And let Us remember, too, the
Danger there is In matters of this |
Kind from crudeness Of OPINION
snap judgments. We love to be |