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Show H SENTIMENT IS CHANGING. WE do not read so much these ' days in the daily press about H the importance of maintaining a Arm H position in relation to the differences H that have arisen between tho United H States and Germany; not so many of H the big papers are Derailing William H Jennings Bryan and lauding the ac- H tion of the administration. They have H discovered that their warliko utter- H anccs did not strike a popular chord; H that the American people, for the H , most part, are emphatically for pcaco; H that Germany is not to be bluffed, H because it makes comparatively little H difference to them whether the ammu- H nition of American manufacture is H shot at them by tho United States or H by England and France, and they arc H not going to waive any of their op- H portunitics of self defence to oblige H the "United States or any other coun- H try. In short, the bluff did not work, H and these papers have discovered that H' they wcro barking up the wrong tree. H . The administration, likewise, miscal- H culated tho effect that its "firmness" H would have on Germany, and since H nt heart they wanted peace, they arc H placed in an embarrassing and nwk- H ward position. H Some four or five of the first-class H-" powers of tho world are very busy H now trying to make Germany be good, H and we, for one, do not think it wise H for tho United States to assume' the H heroic task of making Germany obey H international law. It would be far H better for us to devote ourselves to H improving our defences at homo and H stay clear of the European tangle. H" This' has been the contention of The H, Record from the first, and we believe H' that it is concurred in by tho great HL majority of American people. N If America has merchandise for B v sale, of whatever kind, lot the pur-R-vy ' ' chasers come to our ports for it. If Hy American ships insist upon braving R, the perils of dangerous waters, made K - so n.v nc Wfir m Europe, let them do K' it at their own risk, with a clear and Hf f definite understanding that the United Ht , States will not assume any rcsponsi- Hf ' bility in the matter. Hr The United States is the strongest "f advocate of universal peace, and it is R up to us to practice what we preach. W It is a mighty poor argument for. m' peace to such countries as Germany H: to keep up tho manufacture and sale H of amunition to their enemies, and on H, top of that to insist upon sending it H over to Europe in our own vessels. It HM takes a lot of preaching under such H; circumstances to convert a country to r, the doctrine of universal peace and H ' our sincerity in the matter. |