Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-06
AMBASSADOR HARVEY HAD
A SAFE AND SANE FOURTH
His References to the American War
Burdens Were Timely In the
Europe Of Today

Europe Of Today
MTE OBSERVE through the newspapers
w that Colonel Harvey. too. had safe
and sane Fourth of July. He didn't put any
dangerous fireworks into his speech at the
Independence Day dinner Of the American
Society in London. That was significant.
The colonel loves nothing better than
sparks and the loud crash Of metaphor.
This time he rcfraincd. He sent up slow.
moving flare or two that should attract the
gaze Of Europe and inform all Europeans
and give them IL clearer view over dark
vistas in which infinite peril still turks for
every body. The colonel is a better Am.
bassador than he was at the beginning He
may vet prove to BE- really good one.
1t was time for some one to tell the people
on what MIR. Wilson used to call 'the other
side of the water" things that. for their own
sake, they ought to know about conditions
and states of mind created in the United
States by the war and its aftermath. We
aren't liked in Europe. il half that is hintcd
in cable dispatches is true. We did our
best. but it seems somehow to have been
less than enough. We sent an army o,
young men to die abroad. plunged into stu
pendous debts. rationcd food. accepted in
come taxes and changed tho whole order of
our national life. Yet we aren't liked.
We aren't liked because the people Of
Europe and the people of Britain are being
told that wc fattcncd and prospcrcd out of
what they had to- lose and endure. There
arc politicians and diplOmatists who, for
rCas ms of their own. arc doing nothing to
diepcl that superstition
There are bitterness and poverty and dis
ilIuSunmrnt over large part nf tbs world,
and II the various peoples can be led to
strike out IN one direction to express their
...l.
other. Onc of these days some statesman
anxious to escape blame NAV tell his people
that tho United States caused the war
Then the anti American propaganda of the
bour in Europe will have reached its logical
elimination.
The war made some new millionaires in
this country. But these mon didn't fattcn
oir Europe. They fattcncd of their own
people. The average American was made
poorer by the war He will be poorer than
he ought to be until the war debts arc paid.
Ilc. as Ambassador Harvey properly said,
will have TO shoulder debts as heavy as the
German indemnity. He was saved from
experiencing the absolute poverty of Eu
rope only by the accident Of the great nat
ural wealth Of the United States.
Colonel Harvey talked of the American
war burdens to tho elect Of the American
colony in London and to a group of foreign
Ambassadors To BE- the ideal Amba assador
he would have to go out into the byways
and talk to the multitudcs of Britain The
Ambassadors know without being told.
II we are being lied about and misundcr q.
stood il is because there are in Europe anti e
Americans quito as active and virulcnt as
'hc anti British Of the United States. The
English have Horatio Bottomly and his
amazing point of view. We have Mr..
Hearst.
People who really want to see humanity
at pcacc who aren't in the business of hate
making for money. have little patience with
any nntis-with anti British or anti French
or anti Irish or anti American.
There is nothing the matter with Ameri
cans or British or French or Irish or Euro
pcans generally as people. but there is a
great deal the matter with leaders who seem
always ready to mislcad them for the sake
Of momentary political or national advan
tage.
The world all of it, is suffering from the
| inevitable effects OF war and waste. IL peo
| pie think otherwise. it is because there are
| in every country statesmen and newspapers
talking vile nonsense And II you are try
| ing to get your people into the mood tt
| accept another war it isn't wise. Of course
| to tell them that il is upon war that wa
| will have to be made and not upon unfor
tunate ncighbor nations.
Colonel Harvey himself has not yet real
ized this In saying that he himself used L
believe that Europeans were lonhnG an'
making no effort to restore their lands ant
take care of themselves he made an odd nd
mission. One cannot but wonder what tn
colonel himself would do II fire were to pas
suddenly over his house and dcsolatc hi
acres: if the world were to shake under hi
feet: IL his family were to be scattered an
slain: If he were left alone with all fait
and hone burned out Of him Would h
sing blithcly and return to work TO rebuilt
new world and n new life for himsel
without delay. or would he sulk miserabl
and wonder as. half tn" bcwilderCd peopl
~ Europe are sulking and wondering?
When our new Ambassador sees littl
more Of tho life Of tho Old World from hi
present position he will come to know tina
mankind must save more than the hide {
which he talked little while ago, and NOR"
over that it is trying to save 1t. 1t Is tryin
- save its future. its hopes. its beliefs
it's own sanity and it's faith in the Govern
mcnts IL created. That is the first thin
.bot n good Ambn ssndor should know.