Evening Star Newspaper, March 4, 1923, Page 41

EUROPE TO BOMBARD U. S. WITH PROPAGANDA Battle of Ruhr and Others Will Be Fought in America to Sway the Gullible. BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN. HE war of the Ruhr is to be transterred to the United Btates. . Food is to be snatched from the mouths of emaciated, diseased and hungry children, Soldiers.are to be shot down, not in battle, but from the dark, in cold-blooded murder. Homes are. to be turned to ashes through arson's brand. Hundreds of lives are to- be snuffed out through perfildlous sabotage on Grim black soldiers, whose favorite practice in the world war was to asver the ears of enemles and then ftring them, are to be unleashed. Children are to be trampled beneath the feet of charging horses in city streets. Great industrial plants will cease to be hives of industry, will be denuded of their machinery and the ' blow-torch applied to their struc- tures. Railways will be torn from their beds and ships will be sunk. Women will be bedraggled through the lusts of ruthless monsters. Dis- infected lime will be used in white- washing nationalistic purpose. Gov- ernments will be painted as the heaven and the statesmen operating them will dance about playing lyres, all the while keeping their halos in juxtaposition. . And, if the American public is not thoroughly satisfied at the trend of events, perhaps a few people will be crucified; perhaps the bodies of a few gashed and then Dburled in brine ‘trenches. Mayhap a few bacchanalian orgles, thoroughly splced, will be thrown into the brim- sning measure of things sinful, things shocking, things reprehensible to the uttermost. Facing Fearful Houra. The United States is facing dread- ful hours. Its white-hot anger is ex- pected to run:unchecked. Its public verdict is expected to damn forever- more, For both Germany and France are to unleash their forces of propaganda upon the defenseless heads of the American people. The Ruhr_ glves the propaganda “orces of Europe excellent oppor- tunity to not only endeavor to win a mpathy for desired causes, but pre- -ent issues to the American pecple in such light that sympathy and sup- port, which all nations expect to rely upon through fvture vears, may be Lound to them irrevocably “We will tell you the truth” shout- ©d_the propagandlsts during the war. | They shout it today 1'nquastionally time issues were unleasiied fore Ameri American support in ovidently the statesmen of Europe expected America to pay again, else ! they would not be maintaining prop- | agarda forces the Uaited States to | luence the tides of sentiment and ) 1 of the war- beclouded by the of half-truth in them to obtain very cause, truth,” as each European gov- | ernment sees it, Is anything that will | surther individual ends. The “truth” | is accepted in statescraft as that fac- tor which shall further national weal. Tnto the fabric cf actual fact is woven the woof of hope. Oftentimes, | as events in recent years have proven, hope exceeds fact in quantity. Press Own Viewpoints. Strenuous endeavors are to be made: to make Americans sce the \‘ar(nus! tenglel Issues of Eurove through the} eyves of each government, and in view of the antipathies existent as a re- sult of French Invasion and seizure of the Rukr various nations are ex- pected to go to extreme lengths in e¢onvincing the American public that those most interested are correct in every phase of endeavor. | To the average American the word Propagan: is insidious. It is a thing| to be despised. But in Kurope prop- | 1ganda means merely the distribut- ! redigested viewpoint on va-| rhages of endeaver so as to| opinion in support of govern-! 1 enterpr! Propaganda i ged In towns, in cities, in prov- . It is waged according to the| urposes to be cdesired. It .aay TV § £ the viewpcint of the nation ap-| rroached. In one nation it ma bo ! :long one line, in another, a diffcrent | tack m be_ pursued unceasingiy, constantly and for=ver. 1 The average European government oMelal regards the American as the Li0st gullible person extant. Through- ) out the world he is known as a big, senerous sympathetic person, igno ant in large measure of the na onalistic purposes of various na- ons, and his support a thing to be won by a play upon his sympathies. ‘The American is known as one who dwells not long on the sources and causes of given situations, but whose support can be won through momen- lary judgments of events, the latter oftentimes manufactured’ for given | purpose. Previous to the world war various Furopean projects in America were preceded by propaganda, and they won. Notwithstanding the vigilance of the American press as a whole, during the war, and through its de- sire to be extremely fair to both «ides, it permitted much of the care- manufactured propaganda to 1 | Shrine in the Library of Congress For Priceless Historical Documents A shrine which will be a safe and permanent repository for the orig- ‘1nal coples of the Declaration of In- ependence, the Constitution of the I'nited States, the other unreplace- able archives of this country, and at which all the American people Who come to their capital city patriotical- 1+ worship, is now being constructed in the Library of Congress. Herbert Putnam, librarian of Con- gress, explains that it has taken hore than six months to arrive at a matisfactory solution of the problem of location and fitting design. “The first question which arose was in connection with location,” he ex- plained to Congress, “and the next question was in reference to a proper setting or treatment of those two xreat documents. The location that “eemed decidedly the best was on the second floor of what is the gallery surrounding the main hallway on the cross .axis of the building. Unless “ou put those documents and their Setting on an axis you do not give them great emphasis,” Dr. Putnam pointed out. . “They.ought not to be in a corner nor in a emall room,” he continued. “They ought to be where the casual tourist can see them and go home and say that he’has seen them. Then they must be so protected from the satural light as to prevent further deterforation from that cause. “The soution as to location was to put them in that gallery, turning Thelr backs to the Capitol.” The cen- ter window there is on the axis. The genter window can be closed and a “narble panel put in that space. That will not affect the appearance on 1he outside of the building at all. hen, with the center window closed. ses coataining the Declaration @bove and the Constitution below railways. | | determined to extract the truth permeate its being. Issues were %0 ) carefully concealed in a mass of So- called “facts,” designed to sway sym- Dathies, that it oftentimes was next to Impossible to determine real trends. Many of the incldents connecting events were forgotten, and as a con- sequence the American oftentimes was left without reml determining factors in framing his jurgments. This is the value of propaganda as the average European government official sees it, and it the propagan- da that goes on in America today without hesitation everywhere. U. S, Now Weighs Facts. But the average American has in- creasing knowledge of true condi- tions abroad. No longer does he ac- cept this “truth,” this “fact,” about a given situation until he has had op- portunity to carcfully weigh all sides. Moro than two millions of Americans went to Europe to fight and inci- dentally did a right good job of it. Other thousands went to assist in military operations. Americans in uniform were scattered from Meso- potamia to the northernmost reaches of Scotland. They had been led to believe many things of the many peo. | ples of Europe, but, it must be stated frankly, when they began to compare the war-time propaganda with actu-| ality, as they observed the counter political, economic and soclal tides of Europe, their own judgments were ir- reconcilable to the manufactured viewpolnts impressed upon them through the medium of foreign prop- aganda sources. America_is more discriminating than yesterday. Foreign propaganda, be it German, French, Turkish or Hottentot, has less chance of swaying the American viewpoint than ever before, but_foreign natlons have not forgotten the good old days of pay- ing beguilement and the merry war of conflicting “truths.” Varfous Battles Explofted. i | | While the American public is being approached directly in the “battle of !the Ruhr,” “the battle of the debts,” ! “the battle of the league’” “near- eastern ofl” and various other of the conflicting issues abroad, the Ameri- can correspondent abroad continues his everlasting fight against beguile- ment in order that he may keep his faith with the readers of the Ameri- can press. ! Little does the layman realize the { pressure that is brought to bear upon {the American writer abroad that his viewpoint may bhe so warped as to ! impress particular nationalistic view- | [ points upon the United States. He is 'eted, he Is dined, he is even deco- rated for services oftentimes unwit- tngly rendered. The bait of inter- views with leading statesmen for gervices along given lines are offered. | His every movement in forelgn lands is facilitated, oftentimes through the aid of a foreign office attache who selzes upon every opportunity in off- hour pastime to impress the holiness of his own nation’s caus the in- iquity of he that dares intervene. The American writer abroad is not openly asked to do this or do that. Never. But if he does not watch his step his newspaper spectacles be- come smoked by insidious foreign pur- pose. i Working to Gain Truth. Today all Europe is covered by rep- resentatives of the press of America in unbiased fashion. As a whole, this truth is obtained in its fullest de- tails Oftentimes it reflects upon those who attempt beguilments. The correspondent must resist the purposeful approaches, hew to the Tine, let the chips fail where they may. He may keep faith with the public. The “truth” as he determines it is oftentimes at variance with the “truth” as spread by the propaganda divisions attached to practically every forelgn office in Europe today. And the “facts” as seen by foreign offices are not always reflected in the dispatches of these Americans, who are 8o courageously striving to por- tray Europe as it exists today, in or- der that the people and the official- dom of America may not be led stray. Those keeping faith solely with the United States and her in-| terests many times arc called to book by a foreign office unable to impress its viewpoint successfully, Endless ble tangles, endless telegraph diffi- Itfes and almost unclimbable bar- riers are erected to frustrate every activity of the American writer who Qares to tell the truth, who dares run counter current to the paid emissaries of governmental doctored journalistic { effort. It is with greater knowledge that the American writer abroad today cannot be induced to transgress from the accepted doctrine of square deal to his readers that foreign countries more than ever are relying upon their own propaganda bureaus in the United States, more than ever are attempting to make liars of those men whose greatest reward in their journalistic endeavor is to know they have kept faith with the American public. That the nations most involved in| the greater questions confronting Europe today should once more march out their propaganda forces in America is not surprising. But the jand upon which the seeds will fall has been overcropped. The American is less gullible. He must be shown. would be placed in front of it. facing toward the east, and there would be a marble balustrade out in front. That is the arrangement that has been dectded upon.” Auxiliary to these two documents, and giving _additional _dignity to them, are to be placed other precious, fundamental documents already in the library, in cases leading up to the central motif on either side. So that the whole section of that main front gallery of the Library of Con- gress would, from the point of view of sentiment, represent the consti- tutional origin of the United States. The library has, for example, the Articles of Confederation, the oath of secrecy taken by the members of the Continental Congress, and othe: of that character. These archives would all form part of one group, which would constitute in itself a most important political and literary setting. Dr. Putnam explained “how it is proposed to protect these document- ary treasures from deterioration by natural light. The window just be- hind them would be closed, he said. There would be some natural light coming in from the north window and the south window in the large hallway, and in the afternoon some would ‘be reflected from the courts, but all these windows would be fit- ted with shades, which would be drawn when the natural light was strong. The place where the shrine is being erected is recessed a little, and the Constitution is to be placed in a sloping case in front. There are five sheets of the Constitution, and they would be gathered into portfolio form as one document. The Declaration would be exposed like an altar piece, but in a recessed frame, which would be safeguarded from sidelights by shutters. The artificial light neces- sary would be provided by small buibs at the top. So colored as to Lransmit ol the R0a-AcHnic. Jaia THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MARCH 4, . 1923—PART 2. The Story the Week Has Told BY HENRY W. BUNN. HE following is a brief summary of the most important news of the world for the seven days ended March 3: Occapled Germamy.—One hears that more and ever more that the smaller plants in the Ruhr basin are. closing down, with result of great increasing unemployment. The case of Witten is sald to be an average one; where, if report is to be believed, out of a working population of 70,000 about 12,000 are unemployed. \ The mine directors of the Ruhr basin held an important meeting during the week. They declded, it is said, to denounce their contracts with neutral ‘countries, hoping thereby to raise a howl and perhaps provoke diplomatic representations to France and Belgium (in- deed, such representations have been made by Holland). They decided, so goes the report, to mine and load only enough coal for local needs, fearing that the French might requisi- tion piled-up stocks. The Ruhr exporters of manufactured and semi-manufactured products seem to be obey- ing the orders from Berlin not to pay the ex- port tax, with result that nothing is being ex- ported. ~In consequence, so 'tis said, British, American, Dutch and even Belglan and French firms, which have large orders thus held up. are making a clamor. 4 That, of course, was Berlin's idea. Accord- ing to & recent report the German government will confiscate all shipments from occupied into unoccupled Germany on which the French tax has been paid, will publish the names of the exporters as of traitors, and will in due course prosecute the offenders. On February 25,'the French advanced troops into the intervals between the bridgeheads of Mayence, Coblenz and Cologne. The bridge- heads have each a radius of thirty kilometers. The zone of occupation is now a continuous stretch of thirty kilometers east of the Rhine. . This action was taken for the sake of con- venience and efficiency of customs control. The occupying authorities have taken over all the railronds in ‘the occupied territory except those within the British zone, and are run- ning them on a business basis, the technical management being in the hands of French and Belglan civilians, who, however, are answer- able to the military authorities. The profits, if any, will be credited to the owner of the roads, to wit, the German government. A great improvement of late in train service is reported. Earlier reports as to the number of German railway men returning to work upon the allled conditions seem to have been greatly exaggerated. It s sald that under orders from Berlin, there is organized perse- cution of the Germans who are working for the French and Belgians, but that neverthe- less Germans are trickling back to work. The French explanation of the shooting aftair at Bochum last week in that the crowd had seized a French interpreter and were maltreating him, and that shots were fired into the crowd to procurs his release. It is said that the mayors of all the Ruhr cities and towns, except Hamborn and Mulheim, have been cxpelled or placed in arrest 2 During the week ended February 24, the German paper mark sank in value from 85,000 to 108.000 per pound sterling, the preceding appreciation having been from 230,000. It is. however, a mystery that the depreciation was not greater, in viéw of the fact that the in- flation of the paper currency during that week set a record. It should be noted that the franc went up during that week. It should also be noted in this connection that the Ger- man financial condition is improved by sus- pension of gold payments on reparations ac- can finance the importation of what they need of American foodstuffs, copper and cotton, of English coal, and of Czech and Austrian iron, up to the end of the Ruhr chapter, however long drawn out. That shall be as the event may prove. e Does the Franco-Belgian policy point stead- ily toward administrative separation of the occupied territory from the rest of German: Ah, here is something new and_very im- portant. On February 28, Gen. De Goutte issued a decree, authorizing the export of fuel from occupied to unoccupied Germany upon payment in advance to the French or Belgian customs officials of the 40 per cent tax which the German government was supposed to levy prior to the occupation. It is up to Berlin and the coal magnates. If the latter (whether er no acting under orders from Berlin), re- fuse to pay the coal tax, the German consumer in unoccupied Germany may have something to say about that; for, you see, under the new arrangement, coal should cost the consumer no more than it did prior to the Franco-Bel- gian occupation of the Ruhr. Merely, the French get the tax and apply it to reparations account. A very important “merely” to be sure. The several reactions of the Berlin gov- ernment, the fuel magnates, the consumer in unoccupied Germany and the workers in the Ruhr will be watched with interest. Hitherto the Berlin government has main- tained that importation into unoccupied Ger- many taxed by the French or Belgians would, notwithstanding, have to pay the Reich tax. ‘The French say that the pinch is being felt in unoccupled Germany to the extent that public opinion will constrain the German govern- ment and the mine magnates to yield. the lat- ter paying the tax to the occupying author- ities, and the government not levying its own tax. Latest reports indicate that the food situ tion in the occupled territory is satisfacto indeed. Very much more so than in ‘unoc- cupied Germany. There seems to be definite proof that unoccupied Germany is suffering serfously from shortage of coal; the conse- quence being, of course, complete or partial shutting down of works and_unemployment. It would appear that the German govern- ment is not undertaking to pay the unem- ployed in unoccupied Germany. It is under- stood that the French are not having success in_their effort to organize a civilian police force to take the place of the disbanded semi-military _security police. The results of the lack of a police force are decrease of “nervous tension” and increase of crime. * % * TUnited States of Americs.—The ship sub- sidy bill breathed its last many days ago, but it vas not found possible to get the corpse removed until February 28. A certain honor was done to its memory. for the Senate refused to recommit the re- mains to the committee on commerce. In- stead it voted to displace it, making the filled milk bill the unfinished business. Presidént Harding has signed the bill for amending the debt funding act, and the Army appropriation bill. On February 24 the President addressed a message to the Senate recommending our adhesion to the protocol establishing the Per- nmanent Court of International Justice at the Hague. With his message he inclosed a _cop: of a letter to him from the Secretary of State, in which the latter, with his wonted lucidits . showed how, though the court is the child of the league, we may, by coupling with our sig- nature of adhesion “certain reservations. fully adhere und participate and yet remair wholly free from any legal relation to the league, or assumption of obligation under the covenent of the league. Of course, adhesion to the protocol could not be thought of unless provision spould be made for our participa ingeniously propbsed to get bv through the following conditions of adhesion: That the United States shall be permitted to participate through representatives designated for the purpose and upon an equality with the other states, members respectively of the council and assembly of the league of nations, in any and all proceedings of either the coun cil or the assembly for the election of judges of the Permanent Court of International Jus- tice. The President expressed a hope that the Senate would act on the matter proposed be- fore the end -of the short session, but the Senate thought otherwise, so the matter goes over to the next session. The Senate must have time to think and discuss; only & thorough search will satisfy them that there is no african lurking in this international woodplle. A new rural credits bill was fashioned by the bank and currency committee of the House out of the Capper and Lenroot-Anderson bills (passed by the nate) and the Strong bill (pussed by the liouse) and amended in_the House so as to extend the life of the War Finance Corporation until January 31, 1924, was proposed the House on March 1. The ship subsidy bill having been killed, a new plan of operation and liquidation” for what remains of the government merchant marine is being worked out by Chairman Lasker of the Shipping Board. Mr. Lasker is quoted as sayi that it will be “surprising and novel. Pressure of official duties at Washington makes it finpossible for Secretary Hughes to arry out his plan of visiting Buenos jlres, Monte Video, Santiago and Liama. and of be- ing present as the guest of the Chilean gov- ernment at the opening of the pan-American conference in Santiago, Chile. Representative W. Bourke Cockran of New York farch 1 of apoplexy. The eve- in, previous| he made a brief speech in the Ho , denouncing the rural credits bill, and afterward gave a dinner in_celebration of his sixty-ninth hirthd: Mr. Cockran was with- out question a great orator. He was born in Ireland and came to this country at the age of seven Though a Tammany democrat he supported Mr. McKinley in the latter's first campaign for the presidency, and later he supported M Ro s progressive candi- dacy. He was an ardent anti-prohibitionist, calling izhteenth amendment and the Volstead act “fanaticism gone mad.” B Thomas Finlay, the bugler the “charge” for the Light alaklava, died on February 27, at land 2% was the centenary of the birth Ren dicd on o Miscellaneons. who sounded Brigade at Belfast, 1r February Ernest On February 19, 25,000 Belg went on strike, ostensibly Apparently they are siill n coal miners for higher wages. strike. An error be corrected. I (France) miners, who had returned to work. the miners scattered ou February 16, are last that the T struck on my i rr: h who struc % sidd to fear a revolution in con- high cost of living. ve noted in w previous issue that 6 the 1 n camera and on the Italian senate ratified the ton conference treaties. itatives of Polish and Lith- overnments met carly in the week with seiiling the border dispute between overn y it was agreed to the results of the ile the con- sles i the zone ked by Lithuanians re does not ap- crence as to nee. But was in of controversy count and of mark payments to German pro- compensation for reparations de- ducers in liveries in kind. At Berlin they profess to believe that they court in such a way to the league.” tion in the selection of the judges of as not to involve * legal relation on the part of the United States This difficulty, the Secretary h ¥ an governmet. entatives of the nment met Tchicherin at Minsk. ell How Publication of State Papers, Here and Abroad, Often Embarrasses Governments BY FREDERICK CUNLIFFE-OWEN, C. B. E. HEN in 1908 the Earl of Loreburn, then lord high chancellor, presented to the upper house of the British parliament for legislative ap- proval a measure entitled “The Off- cial Secrets’ Bill Amendments,” debate which ensued, it was pointed out that the only great power which had until then enjoyed an almost complete immunity from indiscreet revelations in print. by those who had been in its service as ambassa- dors, cabinet officers and as members of various branches of the govern- ment at home and abroad was the United States. This was extolled as being all the more meritorious since their terms of office was ephemeral, their pay ridic- ulously. inadequate and their work, no matter how brilliant, devoid of any reward in the shape of titles, crders of knighthood and pensions. Atten- tion was also drawn to the fact that servants of Uncle Sam were mostly men of moderate means, largely chos- en from the literary professions, gift- ed with a faclle pen, and therefore tempted to turn the experiences of their official life to pecuniary account in _response to lucrative offers from publishers and newspaper owners. Yet. up to that time they seemed to have made it & point of honor never to reveal after their restoration to private life the secrets with which they had become acquainted while In the employ of their government. In ! fact, much was made at the time both in the house of lord's discussions and in the European press of the scrpu- lous care exercised by former Ameri- can officials in preserving inviolate, the confidences of their own and for- cign governments that had come within their ken while still in the|jando, service. * ook ¥ Unfortunately, | | | Ossar Strauss, erred both in tact and in discretion in | his volumes purporting to show us| the former President as he really was, James W. Gerard's book of his ex- perience ambassador at Berlin, published in 1917, served a useful purpose during the course of the great war In disclosing to his coun- trymen the true character of the ex- kaiser and of his military and civil advisers, who by thelr short-sighted- ness and intolerable provocation. had given the United States no alterna- tive but to throw down the gauntlet to_the central powers. Thomas Nelson Page, ambasspdar at Rome: David R. Francis, American ambassador_at Petrograd: Charles J. Vopicka, minister at Bucharest, the | heroic Brand Whitlock, at Brussels; Henry Morgenthau, vho was instru- mental in_saving so many British and French lives from massacre at Constantinople in 1915, and wise old whose experience as ambassador and as cabinet officer extend over nearly a quarter of a century, have all furnished us with most _instructive records of _their official activities both at home and abroad, while the writings of Edward M. House, of that lovable and whole- some_Secretary of the Interior. the late Franklin K. Lane, and of Walter Hines Page, author of the most en- lightening and heart stirring-book on the late war, and presenting him in a most attractive light to British as well as to Americans, have all been of extraordinary interest, though in many cases their discloures, espe- clally in the use of confidential docu- ments and letters, have been of a dis- concerting character. * % % * Even Woodrow Wilson himself, when he left the White House, carried off stacks of official papers, including all the confidential minutes of his inti- mate conferences at Paris and at Versailles in 1919 with Georges Clemencean. with David Lloyd George. with Arthur Balfour, and with the -Italfan prime minister, Or- which he subsequently con- fided to the newspaper writer, Ray Stannard Baker, with authority to difterent conditlonS| 1 .0 yperefrom whatever he con- now prevall. The ethics that formerly | ;g g g suitable for publication in governed American statesmen, diplo-|S/95r% 83 SLIALS (8 B0 o 1t was mats and even the miner fry of the administration, have gone by the board. They have ceased to exist and the atmosphere here, as in So many countries in Europe,Ns redolent with shown to contain many private memorandas, bearing the initials or signatures of these four foreign statesmen, and the revelation of which was a source of great em- revelations in print that are publish-j, o o/ one ‘and annoyance to them. ed, all too frequently, for selfish gain in the shape of money or of notor- iety, and with very little regard for the sense of honor involved in the betrayal of secrets of others. It s difficult nowadays to open any | publisher’s list without finding in its pages the titles of hundreds of volumes of reminiscences of all sorts of H Encouraged by these examples, George Harvey has now, according to the cable dispatches from London last week, proclaimed that in the volumes dealing with his experiences as ambassador to the court of St. former|y ey he will demonstrate for the officials advertised in such a fashion as]aRl% 1% Fing public on both sides to wet the appetites of the purchaser. The writers seem.to be lit- erally falling over one another in their eagerness to tell all they know, regard- less of consequences, and whereas ef- | prospective ¢ i1 Atlantic the admirable . role layed by King George in regard to pthey ueu)l'emen{ of the century-old conflict between Great Britain and Ireland, and in the promotion of the forts have been made -from' time 10, frrjendship between the two great time to check breaches of.trust of this | & Clieh “speaking Dpowers ot the kind in the old world, no steps have 8| oFg. yet been taken in that direction in the United States. Yet, they will have to come, sooner or later, if those confl- dential relations between forelgn gov- ernments, that are 80 necessary. to in- ternational intercourse, are to be main- tained. * ok %k ¥ Thus we have the revelations of Rob- ert Lansing, published on his retirement trom the Secretaryship of State, and In ¥hich he made use of a number of offi- clal documents which came within his reach while still in the service. Josephus Daniels was already at work on his Volume of experiences as Secretary of the Navy before he was retired into private life. Joseph Tum- ulty, in spite of his real devotion as private aecretasy to Woodrow Wilson, lany ariticlsm | This jleaves no doubt of the fact that we are to be treated to a vol- ume of diplomatic ‘“reminiscences” of George Harvey. and people who recall the vitriolic character of these writings in Harvey’s Weekly about his one-time friend, Woodrow Wil- son—writings Wwhich contributed so much to the latter's downfall—and who know something of his difficulty in bridling his satire and in con- trolling his disconcerting sense of ridicule and biting humor, are quite naturally fllled with apprehension, For, no matter how great his respect for King George and for Great Brit- ain, there is no knowing exaotlyl what he may or may not say. It is to be feared that the extraordinary kindliness which characterized Wal- ter Page's nature. and that robbed -ia bis post- -the. humously printed correspondence of every vestige of a sting, will be somewhat lacking from the “remi- niscences” promised to his country- men by George Harvey No matter how much he may eulo- gize King George himself, the latter may be tempted to offer him the same advice as that given by Charles II to Gregorio Leti. the well Itallan historian, who wrote terestingly and entertainingly England, where lhe spent years of his life. “I hear you are writing of my court” quoth the m arch.” “Take care that in your work you give no offense” I will do what 1 Leti. “But If a man were as Solomon he would scarc to avoid giving some offense. “Why, then,” refoined King Charles. “be as wise as Solomon—write prov- erbs, not reminiscences.” It is curious that the same week which has brought us the promise of ambassadorial “Reminiscences’ George Harvey has also been sign ized by the publication in the London Times of the first series of Winston Spencer Churchill's “experiences” as first lord of the admiralty during the great war, with official documents in support of his statements, the publi- cation of which Premier Bonar Law felt himself obliged to condemn in S0 1n- about twenty an, sire.” replied s wise he able the house of commons the other day. | Pressed for an answer by the Rt. Hon. | Sir Frederick Banbury, member for the city of London, as to whether the publication in a book or newspaper by a fromer cabinet minister of any information of a confidential kind, gained by him while in office. consti- tuted a breach of his oath as privy councillor. the prime minister wus constrained to reply that he con- sidered it to be a violation of the time-honored and ancient oath “to keep the king's counsel secret.” Sir Frederick Banbury made it perfectly | clear that his question was aimed at Winston Spencer Churchill and against ex-Premler David Liloyd George. He also inquired, but with- out receiving any reply. whether th infractions of the oath in question rendered the offending former min ters llable to prosecution under the! “official secrets act.” * ok ok x The fact of the matter is that official secrets act of 1889 was carelessly drawn that when, in 1906, the government wished to make use thereof, to impose a long term of penal servitude on a navy department official caught red-handed in selling to a foreign power plans of the elab- orate secret defenses of Gibraltar, it was found impracticable to sentence him for anything worse than petty larceny. It was the unsuccessful at- tempt to amend and extend the scope of this unsatisfactory official secrets act of 1889 that led to the debate in the house of lords in 1908 in which the discretion of the former govern- ment officials of the United States was extolled. It is knowm that the amendments were drawn up by Lord Esher at the instance of King Edward. They con- tained clauses prohibiting the publi- cation of all kinds of documents and information of a confidential gov ernment, or to its chief dignitari and, fn particular. communication to and from the reigning sovereign and his predecessor. The amendments. Went further. For they provided that it a court of summary jurisdiction the so was satisfled by information or oath ! that there was reason for suspecting the presence in any premises of docu- ments or correspondence, the publica- tion of which would be prejudicial to the crown, to the government or to the forelgn relations of the latter, a gearch warrant and authorization for the seizure and confiscation should be granted and enforced. It Seems that Edward VII has been ox- tremely put out and embarrassed by indlscrest sevelations contained known | from | le remi his former certain per: cences of several of ambassadors and also by nages at one time intl- ted with court life. But, | in spite of all the influence which the late king and the administration were able to bring to bear on these amendments, they had to be with- Irawn from the consideration of the house of lords owing to popular sen- timent, which insisted that they i interfere with the freedom of Jress and vest oo elastic powers he hands of the sovereign z of his ministers. S King E however, instituted rule sti at the court of providing that every one therewith in an officlal should make a will appoint- one of his or her fellow (‘»’t%?:ials utor, with the authority to ge of all the papers and dence of the deceased im- mediataely on the demise, so as to prevent them from falling into the nds of persons liable to make an improper use thereof. On the continent of Euro for the preservation of official secrets from publication by former minis. ters of state and dignitaries of court But, save in the solitary case of Count Arnim, they have bean without Theophile Delcasse, who i other day. caused no end of Smesile and foreign trouble to France by his publication in the Paris Matin of the most cmbarrassing revelations con. | cerning his secret negotiations w th the British government on the oci sion of the Moroceo incident, which so nearly precipitated some’ fifteen TS ago the ex-Kaiser's war against l)l(:‘nll‘. Another French states- man, Flourens, after being ousted from the premiership, actually pub- h:h('d in the columns of the Paris zaro the substance of the confiden: reports sent to the French for- n office from the French embassy during his own term of minister of foreign affairs. He did this with the object of ems barrassing his successor in office and chief political adversary, Jules Ferry, * ok % ok In We have the “Remini- ences” of ex-Premier Glolitti -that now appearing. recalling those of another TItalian premier, Gen. de la Marmora, who even went so far as to print the facsmile coples of his confidential correspondence with Prince Bismarck, to the intense in- dignation of the Iron chancellor, who, however. after his dismissal, was led by his bitter animosity against the ex-kaiser, to reveal in print the for- mer existence of a secret treaty be- tween Russia and Germany, at the time when the laf the terms of the triple aliance. 19 join Italy and Austria i Russia in check. Nikenny This was only one of a long s of terribly disconcerting tateacorecs which Bismarck disclosed from time to time between his retirement and his death. Yet, while still chancellor, he caused the disgrace, the financial ruin and the sentence to a heavy term of pena tude to be issued by the tribunat: of Berlin against Count Harry Arnin for having published in 4 pamphlct against the prince, cer- tain confidential documents which d come into his possession during his term as German ambassador in France. Ttaly, Too Smart for Her. From Life. George—Well, T showed up the 1 teacher before the whole class again today! Yeh? Wise us up! George—She agked me for Lincoln’s Gettysburg address 'n’ T had to tell her he never lived there. Oh! Ya shoulda hear fhe class Jaugh theas -*. LATIN-AMERICA WAKING TO TRANSPORTATION NEED |Expected to Censtitute One of the Prin- cipal Topics at Coming Congress at Santiago. BY BEN McKELWAY. HE lack of facilities for trans- portation 1s one of the main factors retarding the Drog- ress of Latin-American re- publics, and the Santlago conference plans to tackle this subject from three angles in the hope of reaching agreements which will improve con- ditions generally. One of the most important subjects for discussion at this conference is the Pan-American agreement on the laws and regula- tions concerning and co-operating in the improvement of facilities of com- munication on the ocean, the land and in the air. Before 1914 steamship passenger service between the American repub- lics was far from adequate and the cargo trafilc was seasonal and moved by tramp vessels of all nationalities. Passenger service between the cast coast of South America and Europe was 80 far superior to that between the United States and the east coast {that travelers usually preferred cross- ing the Atlantic twice from South America to reach New York. As a result of the tremendous increase in trade between the United States and the South American countries during the war, however, the need for im- proved transportation facilities re- sulted in improved passenger service, maintained by speedier and more commodious vessels, and the estab- lishment of regular freight lines. With some exceptions, the service to- duzy between ports of the American republics is considered adequate to meet the existing need. Need Better Port Facllities. Closely allfed to the question of improved water transportation is provision in the varlous ports and harbors for the quick handling of cargo, as the time spent in ports is an important ftem in the cost of | operating vessels and is directly re- | flected in the development of ocean transportation. Up to the beginning of the present century, with the inter- ests of the Latin republics centering in their internal affairs, very littla | thought was given to the upbuliding of their merchant marine or to port | improvement. Affairs of the ports of the different countries were handled separately, with little thought glven to the proper co-ordination between ports. Passengers, bag and baggage were transferred from boats to launches and taken ashore to land as best they could In the last twenty years. however, most of the _republics of the western hemisphere have improved their prin- cipal ports by constructing perma- nent piers and wharves with deep water alongside. Harbors have been dredged and provided with break- waters, and warehouses, grain eleva- tors and cold storage plants have been constructed or planned for. The result has been seen in thé expendi- ture of hundreds of millions of dol- lars and the corresponding better- ment of shipping conditions. On the east coast of South America, Brasil, Argentina and Uruguay are making extensive improvements in_their prin- cipal ports, and on the west coast; Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador are taking similar steps. Chile at this time 18 about to undertake a program for the improvement of ten of her principal ports. Building of Railways. It will be many years before South America is provided with the neces- sary facilities for adequate rall transportation, but it is encouraging to note that today, thirty-three years since the project for a Pan-American system of railways was launched'at the first international American con- ference in Washington, between 65 and 70 per cent of the total mileage | of 10,116 miles between New York and Buenos Aires has been completed. The route mapped out by the pan American railway committae appoint- od by the Washington conference of 1890 to study the problem called for| construction of a line from New York | Yo the Mexican border. through Mex- ico, Guatemala. Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama. Colombia, Ecu- ador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina to Buenos Alres, with extensions from “As I See It” (Continued from First Page.) I his career. He has a scheme of co- operative ownership by which_the employes share in the profits. They and he own and operate the paper fogether. The employes have for the most part grown up on the paper, from printers or carrier boys or office | bove to thelr present places. And he | lis “Warren” to them as he is to every one in town. The term is not pecessarily affectionate, but it shows | Dnderstanding, familiarity, tolerance and a certain neighborly relation, which in the White House the Presi- dent misses and hungers for. * X K ¥ In Marion, the town looks to the| Star to do things. All good country papers play Providence to thelr com- munities, right the town wrongs, help | town enterprises, promote the town spirit, prod up the town slackers. The Harding place in the town cosmos is no more and no less than the place of the average suocessful country| editor. Only—and to get this is lhe[ ot of the present administration, | ::rflrcfi the people so woefully mis- | subseriptions. |1t the main line of the railroad to the countries not in its direct path, Linking Tp the Ga The line from New York to ths northern border of Guatemala is now complete. Guatemala has completed nearly half of its northern section and negotlations ars pow under wav for building the southern half. Sal- vador has completed her section. Actual work on the Honduran line has not begun. Nicaragua has com- pleted part of her line. but nothing as been done in Costa Rica and very little in Panama., Colombia has ne- gotiated a loan, part of which is go- ing toward the construction of her section of the line, virtually ail of which remains to be built. Ecuador's capital, Quito, remains to be connect- ed with the Colombian border, but from Quito south to a point near the Peruvian border existing lines will be used for the pan-American ra way. ~ Peru has built her railwa usually from the coast to points in- land and many of these raflways w serve the intercontinental line. A gap of several hundred miles in the Peruvian system is expected to br filled soon, which will complete the Peruvian part of the chain which ends at Lake Titicaca, where & steamer is taken to Guagul, on the Bolivian horder. From Guagui to Atocha, 127 miles from the Argentlne border. the Bolivian link has bee completed, and a contract was signed recently with an American company for completion of the line from Atocha to connect with the Arge tine line. Work has been started on this road. Argentina has completed all of her section. Although not affecting the main route of the pan-American rallwa:. an agreement reached recently be tween Chile and Argentina for the completion of two main lines between the two countries, permitfing of cor- tinuous travel without change of cars over the Andes, is considered impor- tant. These lines will act as feeders to_the main line of the pan-America: railway from northern and southe: Chile and southern Argentina. Use Made of Motor Trucks. In several cases motor trucks are now being used to supplement rail roads. One instance §s furnished Bollvia, where a line of motor truck connects Atocha with the Argentine border. Another is found in Ior- duras, where a highway from the Atlantio to the Pacific will offsst the present lack of a transcontinental line, some of the Latin American com tries are making conslderable proz ress in commercial aviation, and therc already exists a regular air line cor necting_Buenos Aires with Monte- video, the distance being covered il two hours. It has proven a success 80 far, and many business men uti! ize it'wo save time. Argentina and Uruguay, however, are the only two American republics between whic! there exists an agreement on aerial navigation. The majority of the American republics are signatorfes to the convention for the regulatior of air traffic, drawn up in_accordance with a provision of the Paris peact conference, but only two, Venesueld and Colombia, have passed complete covering the subject. Somein- tional agreement among the American republics for the contrel o commercial aviation is expected to be reached at the Santiago conference. Quick Time by Afirplane. In addition to the line mentioned between Argentina and Uruguay, Co- lombia has established a service corn- necting Barranguilla, on the coast. and Girardot, 600 miles up the Mag- dalena river, between which airplanes fiy in a few hours, whereas the ordi- nary route consumes a week or more, depending upon the condition of the river. Brazil has passed a law for the establishment of two aviation lines between Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre—one to be maintained by hydroplane, along the coast; another by airplane. following the inner side of the coast range. A transatlantic ine between Spain and Buenos Aires has been proposed and is said to be rapidly nearing realization. Anothe: project _contemplates an air line be tween New York and Buenos Afres which would be maintained by dir gibles flying down the Atlantic coas of the United States, across th Caribbean, down the west coast « South America and thence across Andes to Buenos Aires. it to the editer. His front door open. People come 1o him with their burdens and visions as a right. Thex hire him—and in Marion pay him $50,000 & year—as the town burde: bearer, reserving the right to get mad and wipe their feet on him. So is he also a town door mat. He {s an in- stitution, is this American country editor. That is what it means to L a “Warren” in Marion, Ohio. * % k¥ And because America will not mak.« a “Warren” out of its President, tiic country {s missing a lot. Heaven knows. he is trying to be one. With all his soul he is Yearning to do foi America what he did for Marion. He wants to be burden bearer, and door- mat. But he wants to do it not as « statue but as a friendly, good-natur ed, easy-going familiar of the people He sees prosperity in America, sees us the only country in the world functioning normally; see men and money at work, sees amity growing between the parties, the sections, the classes, and he feels that he and ti “bunch” have done a pretty good job But he wonders why the folks don't drop into the office and renew their And tell him all about He is lonely, their President {1argely because we have overidealized our Presidents, made them heroes, en- dowed them with copper intestures where they should have hearts. And it is too bad. For what Amer human tand—only the country’ editor Unders ava Providence upon his own Wisdom. He goes along. He accepts| the judgment of fthe bcutnd\.'|g’xr"e'l‘{ t out of ep does he ge! it the nt on 80! ly the tgn::: the t|o\;;n rs are in acoord. especially z-onfi:flon “Wwarren” {s all right with 1ks. the fo! e There are many diverse interests in the town—not contending but differ- ent. The city library committee, for instance, and the committee to get the new factory; the Welfare Associa- tion and the Credit Men's Association; the Y. M. C. A. directors, and the members of the clearing house; the college trustees and the transporta- tion and rates committee of the chamber of commerce. Yet they are interlocking directors. The same two or three hundred men do all the public-spirited work that is done, and the country editor serves on all the committees, either directly or as a propagandist for them in his news- paper. The newspaper is necessary to all of these “town things” so the editor 18 the center of all the town's| life and growth. Every man with a hope for the town, or fear for the 10WR, & dreams for the town, takes | to bawl l jca needs just now is not a super ma our aspirations across the world, not a hero to strut us into war, not a master mind to involve us in great schemes, but a kindly good-natured, easy-going “Warren" to sense and size up the situation as the folks and “the bunch” see it, and plug away at the job—and Heaven only knows what the job really is— but, anyway, the day’s hard work upon the restoration and the world- and in the end get the job done. That means, translated intoe high-brow terms. that if we keep fairly calm the deep unconscious common sense of the common people will rise to impulse through common men to real- 1ze our dreams. —_— e Knife Invention Disputed. From the New York Sun. Some authorities say that the ‘bowie knife was invented by Col. James Bowie, who was born in 1790 and was killed in the Alamo with Col * Travis and David Crockett in 1836 during the Texan revolution against Mexico. Col. Bowie was a great hunt- er and one of the most daring In- dian fighters in the southern states. On the Potomac river is the grave of a man who was killed by Bowie in a duel before the latter went t Texas. Other authorities say that Co! Bowie had nothing to do with the in vention of the bowie knife. They claim 1t was invented by & man named R. P. Bowie. ahout whom very little i3 known.