Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-22

say something nice TO you. something |
something that sounds we'll. |
I am in earnest. The press Of the |
world has 1t in its power to stop
war: and the plea 1 want to make be-
fore you is that we not only support
the efforts for permanent peace that
will be made at Washington: but
that we, as editors. resolve to do our
part in making war an impossibility
in the future.
"You will admit. think. that with
out the tacit consent OF the press,
war would be very difficult thing to
carry on. War is no longer declared
by monarchs. by absolute rulers.
War, when it IL declared, Is entered
into at the behest Of the representa-
tive body that is the modern gov
ernmcnt of every civilized nation.
sponds-to public opinion. And 1t
senses public opinion through the
press-while at the same time the
press itself, very largely, forms pub
lie opinion.
Perhaps there are people who
think the press reflects public opin-
ion. ] do not think it does. I be-
]ieve the press reflects the opinion
of the leading minds in any nation,
and that the readers OF the press
thus obtaining the ideas set forth,
absorb these views and so form pub
lie opinion. Sometimes the readers,
instead Of absorbing the views OF
some leader, are impressed with the
inevitable consequence of some event
which is recounted in the news COL
umns, and SO public opinion Is
formed in that way. AS examples OF
this later method of crystalizing the
public mind, I might cite the news
OF tho attack on Fort Sumter before
the American Civil War; or the news
OF the explosion that sank the battle
ship Maine in Havana harbor be-
fore the Spanish American war.
After reading each of these news
items, the people declared This
means war; and public opinion was
crystalized.
so, l soy, the newspapers-the
press OF nation-create public
opinion The newspapers place be-
fore their readers a daily digest. in
one form or another, of the national
health. Of the relations the nation
Bears to other nations. Of the feelings
toward the home nation Of the rest Of
the world.
Ihis information, upon which pub
lie opinion is based, should above all
else De accurate. Unfortunately. We
must, all OF us, admit it is not ALWAYS
accurate--and out of the Inaccuracies
many evils come. We. all of lis
know how inaccura cies-mark mo 7
90 not say untruths, but inaccuracies
-engender public feeling at cleo
lions. The opposition party is always
MADE to appear in the wrong and our
own party in the right. And to the
degree in which we are successful in
moulding public opinion depends the
success Of our party at the polls.
Apply this same thing to war.
Only instead of insisting that we are
right and the enemy is wrong, let us
insist that peace is right.
Il do not argue that we should he
pacihsts. But every question has two
sides. and it should be the duty OF
the press, in n international dispute
10 not only present, both sides. but to
point out the terrible costs Of war. so
that the people may judge whether
the game is worth the candle. How
ever. ii the press does it's duty to-
wards world peace, as see 1t, and as
want - to see It, disputes will not
develop to crises, and we will not
have to plead for peace. What then,
must we do?
In the first place. let US insist on
accurate. uncolored. news. Let us
handle the events Of the day that our
readers will see that the world is a
great family of peoples, inter depend
ent on one another for their COM
mon success. Let us begin with good
Will towards all, IS world neighbors.
Let US reiterate that the prosperity
OF the world depends on common
sense trade; that no nation can die
tate to another what it shall do or
shalt not do
we may have to drop some petty
policies for the general good Of all.
There may. for instance. be an old
boundary dispute between two ma
tons, never satisfactorily settled to
the liking of either. Yet, If a boun-
dary has been established, and has
been respected for number Of years
by both nations, what good will it do
for the newspapers of the two ma
tons to continually harp upon the
question? How much better for them
to drop discussion, and so cease en-
rendering unkind feeling in the mat
ter.
Perhaps one Of the greatest op-
portunities to bring about mutual
understandings between nations ia,
for the press OF each nation to devote
its attention to the good points of
other nations, rather than to the less
desirable features. Praise the other
fellows scenery, print the news when
he has a national birthday, felickate
his house of representatives when it
passes good law-fatter the other
fellow bit, instead Of poking fun at
his mistakes or glorying in his mis-
fortunes. Let the news you print
about other countries be the sort of :.
news you want their papers to print
about YOUR country-and very soon
you will build up an exchange of
good feeling that will not only be a
step for peace, but that will be mu-
tually advantageous in lines of trade
and other relations.