The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-02
MONDAY, JUNE 2, 1919.
REHABILITATION OF EUROPE.

Hardly day passes without an ap
peal in the public press by some repre-
sentative of a European country or a
returning American agent to the Amer
lean people to come to the rescue of
the starving peoples of Europe Yes
terday it might have been the starving
Armenians, today the starving Jews
and tomorrow the starving Poles, Rus
SLAMS, Serbians, Belgians, Germans,
Austrians and so on. In each case we
are told that America is their only sal
walton, the only possible benefactor and
that we must contribute anew to save
these unfortunate people from extint
ton. One can see both a compliment
and an insult in these statements and
appeals.
1t is complimentary to the generosity
Of the Americans to paint them as such
liberal contributors TO the relief of the
almost universal suffering of the old
world. The hundreds of millions of dol
lars sent by the American government,
American charitable organizations and
the great unorganized American people
has turned the eyes of the hordes of des-
titute and hungry to this country for
mercy and continued charity with the
debased natures of chronic pauperism-
a most undesirable situation.
Speaking of the Jews, Felix NJ. War
burg, chairman of the joint distribu-
ton committee of the Jewish relief com
mission which has already contributed
I$l9,OO0,000 in this country, says of the
Jews in Poland: /" We find a roaming,
sad eyed RESPONDENT mass of humanity.
stripped of its hopes and fearing the
next day, deprived of ideas and just as
ready to die as to continue its present
life. -
Thomas Z. Wilson, a Chicago packer
just returned from an investigation of
food conditions in Europe says: ''The
United States is the hope of the world,
and we must find meat and grain to the
limit to supply those that are needy
Every thinking man will disapprove
of this view of America and it's duty.
If the millions of European sufferers
are convinced their salvation lies in
American charity they have adopted a
mistaken policy and have deserted
their strongest principle-salvatio by
themselves. Such principle is right
at hand for immediate application
while American relief is thousands of
miles away and limited to the restricted
amount of transportation available for
sending food to them. To save a people
| without faith in themselves hundreds of
miles from the broad ocean between
America and Europe is impossible for
the American people and these unfortu-
nate people should be told the truth
that they may turn from their error be-
fore it is too late.
America can do great deal in help
ing these people to help themselves but
that is far as il should 90 now. The
hundred million dollars appropriated by
coliSIeSS 1oi European charlIy mas Deen
only a drop in the bucket and is
smaller part of what this country would
have to give 20 save the world by char
ity. 1t is time for this country to stop
feeding pauperism abroad and to adopt
the policy of aiding only those people
who can save themselves To continue
TO feed Bolshevism and its kindred
hordes of hatred win only fatten this
country most dangerous enemies Peo-
pie who cannot suppress the forces of
violence and mob destruction are be-
yond help by this country and its bounty