New Britain herald., 1926-08-14
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
 INTEREST PUBLIC
Views Of People Ofttines Frame
 Government Policies
EDITOR GIVES ADDRESS
Abbot of Christian Science Monitor, Talking at Williamstown Says Press is More Honest Than Many People Believe.

Williamstown, Mass, Aug 14 P}- Public opinion in the United States concerns itself very actively with foreign affairs, and is a dominant force in influencing governmental action, despite the insistence of pro- fessional diplomats that the public keep hands off" the institute of politics was told today. The speak CT was Willis J. Abbot, editor of the Christian Science Monitor.
 Public Takes a Hand
 "Few questions relating to the international relations of the United States come up for consideration at Washington without the American masses taking a hand to an extent most obnoxious to the state depart ment, which would much prefer that public opinion and foreign af- fairs should be entirely divorced" Mir Abbot said.
 "The Lausanne treaty offers a case in point. It might be thought that the question of re-establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey was one in which only an insight ficant fraction of our people take an interest. Probably 1t is true that of our 11O,000,000 only a few are thus interested, but those few are of the sort that make and express public sentiment.
 Opinion Often Headed
 Does this opinion influence the action of the government? Is it po- tential in shaping the foreign poli- cy of the government? Sometimes we find the very authorities that are most positive in deprecating the interference of public opinion with foreign affairs, using that opinion as a convenient excuse for acton taken by the administration. The secretary of the treasury, and two secretaries of state have repeatedly declared that public opinion would no support any action looking tow ard the cancellation of the foreign war debts. Yet there has been very considerable body Of educated public opinion urging precisely that course. It is not incredible to 1or- see the time when it will become SO strong that some future adn@lh- istratIon in deference to pubic opln- ion will act in accordance with It, But even should that come to pass if will afford no more conclusive evidence of the power of pubic opinion alan does the present sl'- nation, with the administrator nointing to a lack of any .denaailo for cancellation as reason for pro oeedinp with its policy of speedy collection
 Influence of Press
 pofarring 10 the influence of the press as an exponent and alrectoi of the opinion of the public, MT. Abbot said. ufor
 "Tbat is a function, the per1or- nance of which demands the hish- oet ideals and the loftiest purposes do believe they are more gener- ally cherished than is coiillioiily believed. but among ne"spapeI owners of the type that put the eaeerness a for profit ahead or all other considerations one can na,u lv expect any other single-mlnaea devotion to the public welfare Just as long as the publishers of some of our great newspapers insist on so,inp that they are conducting h,,einess enterprise like any othei business enterprise, just so Tar theil efforts to direct public sen,lllent sbould be looked upon with su- spicion."