New-York tribune., 1919-04-17
CaLLousness
Explained
(Fror, George Harpe,5s We,t,v,


recent news was contained in Il.
patch from Brussels, which stated AS
president Wilson has postponed HI. .~a' .a'
to Belgium until after the pre,;r;,p
peace is signed" In connection thsra,r;.s
it will be recalled that he has maaa o.,
two very brief and limited excurs;or.
the devastated regions of France. and .s.
by no means to the places most sos.lU
stricken '''e'y
In this, 1t may we'll be believed Is 70 +.
found the explanation Of the Pree;do...S
extraordinary lack of sympathy with Frsr..
and Belgium in their sufferings from, ~.
war. His Indifference and even his cor.n.
ness toward those martyr nations bs. h...
one OF the most amazing features ~ ~.
whole case. He has been much concer,sa
Tor the welfare of Germany, that her ma
pie should be fed and that they should m.
be burdened with any crushing indeb.ss
ness. But for the French and Belgians wh.
have suffered immeasurably more than n.
most vlndlctive have ever proposed for Ger
many he has had few words of sympathy
and scarcely single wholehearted and red.
booded demand for redress
Of course, his ears have been filled d.r
and night with the insidious pleadinps and
verbal camout1age of German sympathizers
who are plotting to have Germany so SHARED
from paying the penalty of her crimes that
she viii soon be able to reassert herssl,
and to renew her attack upon civilization.
while France and Belgium have been silent
in the dignity and pride of their unnsral.
leled bereavement assuming that there was
no need OF specially pleading their cause to
any tribunal of humanity
We might have thought that the Pres,
dents first impulse on going to Europs
would be to see for himself what Belgium
and France had suffered. As the former
head of great university he should have
looked upon the piteous ruins OF Louvain.
AS the sclf-proclaimed champion Of tina
people, catching, as he himself has so elo
quently said. "the voices of humanity that
are in the air. he should have made his
earliest pilgrmagcs TO the scenes where
humanity had suffered martyrdom. He was
to be member Of the international cour,
which was TO adjudge PREPARATION TO the in
jured. Should he not have seen for himself
how great the injury had been and there
fore how great the reparation should be?
Is it not n practice of Jurisprudence for the
jury to view the scene of the crime?
He did not do so. He would not do So
He had time to travel about the Continent
haranguing the multitudes, leading brass
bands and throwing kisses TO crowds which
were acclaiming him as the "god Of peace"
He had time to argue and to insist that
Germany should be permitted to enjoy the
generous terms of what would be practical
ly negotiated peace. But he had no time
to visit Belgium His purpose was and is
to pass upon the claims Of Belgium without
inspecting the grounds for those claims.
After he has settled the matter, after he
has said to Belgium and France, "You ask
too much. Poor Germany could not pay so
much without serious deprivation and suf-
fering." he VIII make an excursion to Elan
ders fields, where the poppies grow amid
rows Of crosses, to see what all the pother
has been about.
Perhaps it is wise Perhaps it Is discreet.
IF he what is to be seen in some parts
Of Northern France and in Belgium, his
equanimity might be disturbed His sym
pathies might be excited. He might actu-
ally feel a righteous indignation against
Germany, so that he would join the major
ity Of the civilized world in demanding that
the fullest possible reparation be made TO
the Innocent victims of that Incompatible
criminal, even though the whole race Of
Huns be bled white for a generation to
come.
But it would not do for the President,
listening to "tho voices Of humanity thst
are in the air" to be thus reused to pas
sion. It might sway his judgment against
the Huns, and tempt him 70 abandon the
doctrine Of mo indemnities" and even to
repudiate his own demand for peace with
out victory" SO he viii prudently postpone
his visit Belgium until after the terms
Of peace have been prescribed and the treaty
has been signed
And then, what viii # matter whether be
ever goes thther ht alp