The Washington times., 1921-07-27

go, W
Shaw has plenty of audacity when
mere ideas are concerned. Such 9
trip as is proposed. however, would
mean audacity OF different sort: ~
would be an enterprise wholly ob-
jectionable to the ruling powers in
Washington.
Moreover, 1t would be Objectionable
TO those forces in rne community
which have been strong enough to
brighten the Administration out OF Its
with these prisoners Immediately on
taking office last MalIh.
Well Fitted for Test.
II Shaw wanted to do 1t, however,
he is peculiarly we'll fitted to meet
the organized forces mat would turn
up at his meetings and throw out
remarks implying that the highest
form of patriotism IS the continued
imprisonment of a nvoIe old man for
failing to appreciate the blessings that
the was has bestowed upon us.
Shaw is gifted In cealing with hos.
ness his comment when, on a curtain
call. a man in the gallery expressed
his disapprobation by pooing:
Il agree with you, my friend, but
what are you and against SO manyT'
Those who want Shaw to come
over think he ought 10 make a trip
to Atlanta to see Deps. Whether he
could get permit or not is an inter
esting question. II was rather easy
to do so a few r.onths ago. at the time
that l went down. but since the Ad-
ministration has become SO alarmed
over the situation permission Is much
harder TO obtain. N.
During the two years and a quar-.
ter that Debs has been in jail the
hardship OF II has pesn to some ex-
tent lessened by the visits permitted,
which enabled the FORMER candidate
for the Presidency - have brief con.
versations with his friends. Since
July these visits have been stopped.
Harding's Change In Policy.
One thing Mr.. Shaw should take
into consideration is that there Is
no danger OF his being too late
Within the last few weeks the Ad-
ministration has grimly set its teeth
and determined that there will be
no pardon, at least until the last
remaining technical detail between
this country and Germany has been
worked out.
II has also decided that even then
there will be no amne,>y proclam4.
ton. A little while ago wide pub
LEFTY was given to the statement
that the European amnesty proclama-
tons, as well as those issued in this
country after the Civil War and
after the Alien and Sedition acts
were being eagerly studied.
This extraordinary change OF pol
Icy should not be identified with the
mania that attycked Mr.. Wilson on
the subject. In Wilson's case 1t was
what is known in the slang of the
day as a complex" Of righteousness
that caught him when he had
abandoned his former peace.without-
victory ideas and gone into the war.
Anybody who failed to change
with him when he made that change
really seemed to him so wicked that
no mercy should be shown. be-
lfsve Mr.. Wilson pardoned something
like 500 convicts, some in prison for
and others who clung TO
their pacifism after Mr.. Wilson
abandoned his were too evil for any
leniency.
The Public's Fault.
The change in the present Admin
lstration's policy is not OF the same
sort. 1t Is an estimate OF what
would be popular. I am not sure II
Is not sound as a political calcula-
ton. ''. L 20.
A man like Hays, to he sure, can
Impress the. country with statesman
ship by the daring and intelligence
with which he throws out dead wood.
but not everybody in the, Adminlstra-
ton knows how to act successfully
on so high plane.
After all It is the public's fault.
II there were as many people actively
determined to end this brutal barbar
Ism as there are those who are de-
termined to have It continue the re-
ease would become a political ne
cessity.
Because Shaw is known all over
the world as an enthusiast against
oppression, whether II takes place
IN Ireland, Germany, France. In
iIa, or here, he was the natural
nan to receive the invitation.