New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-08
Afterthoughts on Belgium
Reflections on the Testimony Of ,
Successful Entertainer
the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: I have before me two accounts .,,-
the same pen Of the early events in Belriu,,
in 1914 II is true that the accounts g..
written nearly three years apart, but a.
describe the same events as then witnessed
by the author
We all remember the relief with VIII,
many people received the signed stateu.,.
of Mr.. Irwin Cobb and his associates to -.
effect that they had witnessed no so.eau.I
atrocities in Belgium. There were, Of eov,,.
some Of US who, while trusting implicitly =,
good faith of the American correspondent,
felt that their testimony was neutralizes :,
the fact that they were under the oS,;,,
escort Of the German authorities But n.,-
people who were not pro-German, who w.,.
merely pro-human. were glad 70 rely On Ia,
assertion, and subsequently turned deaf "a.
TO "hysterical" reports. The pro-Gern.,,
made a formidable use Of that staternen. !.
an argument up 10 the publication OF u,
Bryce report, and even after
with that statement I have no quarrel +
was tho plain testimony Of honest men ssa
what they did not see. As negative eyidsn..
it. had a certain value. 10 also had AZ n,
time an absolutely incalculable inHuere,
The prestige Of Mr.. Cobb's name and his IN.
mense public assured 10 IL an importsr..
which cannot be overestimated. Had -.
American correspondents issued eontrar
or even a qualified, statement the eH.,.
would have been equally strong the o,h,,
way. The great wave Of American opini,,
on the outrage Of Belgium was swung bss.
even as it was forming, chiefly by the fore.
Of that statement. Still, am not criticisms
the statement itself. Il was honest il Va,
20 the point. ! merely wish 20 emphasize IA
Importance at a time when Belgium had nos,
need that neutrals should read her eau.
Alright.
Now, after more than two years, when Il.
world knows the truth, Mr. Cobb comes o.,
with a second article, giving a totally dr.
ferent color 70 that statement. | am ne,
charging Mr.. Cobb with falsehood or witt
wilful distortion Of the truth lie has 70;
in any essential point contradicted himself
But / do charge him with silence IN ia,
presence Of iendsh injustice. In his I'm.
statement he told US what ne did not sea.
How were we to know that he was abs,aini-,
from telling US what he did see?
He says he did not speak out fully thr
because he was neutral citizen Of neutul
country. SO were the Belgans neutral I'll.
liens Of neutral country. He says he va
there TO tell what he saw and heard and 10,
what he suspected and feared. With whsA
Of his senses, then, did he take in the ORDERED
plan of destruction and the shooting down
of squads Of innocent men? How does Ia
now. after nearly three gears, perceive he
GROWING atrocity Of organized spite whes
then he did not see? Note that he says hs
admires the courage and fortitude Of he
German soldier who obeyed these helsk
orders. Note also that he asserts in his
later article, after the Lusitania lesson, the
Bryce report and the late events in North.
ern France, that he still does not believe in
the campaign of frightfulness as praetised BY
the German soldiery!
trust that Mr.. Cobb will long continue 20
amuse and interest his public with his enter
tanning fiction. But for one Of his readers
at least this lates. article on Belgium has
robbed of any value or importance anything
which as a correspondent he may hereattr
be moved to write.
CHARLOTTE II. CRAWFOD
Brooklyn, April %, 1917.