DR. FRANK CRANE’S DAILY EDITORIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 222, 8 December 1927, Page 5

DR. FRANK CRANE’S DAILY EDITORIAL

NEWSPAPERS AND INTERNATIONALISM (Copyright, 1927.) HERR STRESEMANN, a German statesman, said not long ago at the Geneva conference that he hoped that newspaper men would collaborate with politicians to achieve a smoother running of international affairs. Sir Austen Chamberlain also referred to the press conference resolution which appealed to the world press to contribute to the consolidation of peace by combating hatreds between nationalities and thus prepare for moral disarmament. He declared that “the collaboration of the Press in such a work is of equal consequence, and may be even of greater influence than anything statesmen can do.” As a rule 1 don’t think much of a policy of a paper. They ought to print the straight news without reference to a policy and tell us what happens, whether it bears out their conviction of what ought to happen or not. But there is one policy every newspaper ought to have. It ought to do everything in its power to eliminate the causes of war. It should carefully and even prayerfully ask itself what causes war and put the soft pedal on that. The ultimate cause of all wars is an inflamed and erroneous public opinion. Without favourable public opinion wars would cease, and the newspaper has as much to do with making public opinion as almost any other influence. There ought therefore to dominate the editors of every newspaper the idea that they will stress those things that make for peace and harmony and decry whatever makes for trouble. War is an expensive and fallacious idea and every newspaper ought to work against it. War will never be outlawed by congresses or statesmen, but by becoming unpopular with the masses. To accomplish business there must be continual compromise. The idea that one nation is always right is erroneous. As Herr Stresemann says, “Compromise is not a sign of feebleness, but of wisdom.” No nation should think more highly of itself than it ought to think, for international egotism is one of the most fruitful causes of war.