The Washington herald., 1922-09-18
Need of Popular Education
In World Affairs Stressed
Elihu Root One of Writers for the New Quar-
terly Review-Tardieu Also
Contributes.

There appeared yesterday the
first issue of Foreign Affairs. the
new American quarterly review
published by the Council on For
eign Relations, of which Elihu
Root is honorary chairman and
John W. Davis. former Ambassa-
dor to Great Britain, is chairman.
Archibald Cary Coolidge of Har-
ward University is the editor. and
Hamilton Fish Armstrong is man
aging editor in charge of the Of
fees at 25 West Forty-third street.
The first issue of Foreign Az
fairs has a distinguished list of
contributors. among them Elihu
Root. former Secretary of State:
Andre Tardieu, French high COM
missioner TO the United States dur
ing the war: Charles w. Eliot,
president emeritus OF Harvard
University; Edward Benes. prime
minister of Czechoslovakia; Josef
Redlich, former minister OF finance
Of Austria Hungary; John Foster
Dulles. and many others. A fea-
ture of the review. also. is COM
plete photography OF books dealing
index of recent treaties and trade
agreements. prepared with an eye
to the needs of American business
men.
The leading article is by Elihu
Root. who writes under the title
"A Requisite for the Success OF
Popular Diplomacy"
THE control Of foreign relations
by modern democracies." he writes,
creates a new and pressing de-
mand for popular education in in
ternational affairs. When the diff
ficult art of regulating the conduct
Of nations toward each other. m
such a way as to preserve rights
and avoid offense and promote
peaceful intercourse, was left to the
foreign offices of the world the
public in each country could judge
policies by results. and. in the va
rious ways by which public opinion
expresses itself. could reward or
punish the success or failure OF
government. To perform that par
ticular function it was not very
important that the public should
be familiar with the affairs out OF
which success or failure came. That
condition. however. is passing away.
In the democratic countries gen
erally. the great body of citizens
are refusing to walt until negotia-
tions are over or policies are acted
upon or even determined. They
demand to know what is going on
and to have an opportunity to eN-
press their opinions at all stages
81 N
Must LEARN the Business"
The usefulness of this new de-
parture is subject to one inevitable
I condition. That is that the de-
mocracy which is undertaking to
direct the business of diplomacy
shall learn the business. The con-
trolling democracy must acquire
knowledge of the fundamental and
essential facts and principles upon
which the relations of nations de-
pend. Without such a knowledge
there can be no intelligent discus
sion and consideration of foreign
policy and diplomatic conduct. Mis-
representation will have clear
field and ignorance and error will
make wild work with foreign rela-
I =,
sincere people who are holding
meetings and issuing publications
in opposition to war in general may
well direct their attention IL they
wish to treat the cause of disease
rather than the effects. Given the
nature Of man. war results from
the spiritual condition that follows
real or fancied injury or insult. 1t
Is a familiar observation that in
most wars each side believes itse,f
to be right and both pray with
equal sincerity for the blessing of
heaven upon their arms. Back of
this there must lie a mistake. How
ever much ambition, trade compe-
tition. or sinister personal motives
of whatever kind, may have led
towards the warIike situation. two
great bodies of human beings. with
out whose consent war cannot be
carried on. can never have come
to two diametrically opposed gen.
uine, beliefs as to the justice of the
quarrel without one side or the
other. and probably both. being
mistaken about their country's
rights and their country's duties
Here is the real advantage of the
change from the old diplomacy to
the new.
when foreign affairs were ruled
by autocracies the danger of war
was in sinister purpose. When for