The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-20
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY ia III La w hEN1E. i
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.,
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.-Nothing
in recent events illustrates so forcibly
the changed atmosphere of Washington
as compared with pre-war days than the
manner in which the alarming news
from the Near East has been received.
Although several naturalized Ameri-
cans are known to be missing and the
estimated loss to American property
owners is said to be large, not single
resolution demanding that american
citizens and their rights be protected"
has been offered in congress and nobody
in any of the departments of the govern
ment is anticipating any movement of
the American fleet to the Mediterranean
or the despatch of any marines or any
of the other steps which are usually as
sociatcd with Americans in peril.
The truth is that the enthusiasm for
the protection of American interests by
tie use of military or naval force has
waned. Even the murder of American
citizens in Mexico in recent months has
failed to provoke the Republican admin
istrdtion or the Democratic minority
into outbursts of Oratory or denunciation.
| Congress goes calmly on its way and
officials ut the state department discuss
placidly the difference between an
American citizen who was born in the
! United States and one who was born
abroad and has become naturaliZed,
/ though there is no reason to suppose any
! different policy would be pursued even
/ if the Americans in Asia Minor were all
native Americans.
Pre-War Fervor Lost.
| For the fact IS che pre-war feryor
about protecting Americans has about
I disappeared. The experience of the great
/ war has made folks grow calloused to
isolated eases of trouble to Americans
/ in disturbed regions. The Discrimination
! Of Great Britain to go to war over Near
/ Eastern questions is reflected in most
quarters here. 1t would take Il direct
attack on American territory, almest.
| to arouse any administration, Republi-
can or Democratic, to action. The mem
| CRY Of human losses and the frightful
tax burdens inherited from the war have
made sabre-rattiing unpopular.
| Naturally those who have insisted that
| American rights should be protected by
! the American government do not feel
comfortable over the fact that Great
/ Britain in sending her feet to the Oar
/ danelles will probably become the pro
/ tector of the American citizens involved
! but it will not be the first time the Brit
/ ish flag has protected Americans as there
I have been many instances of it in the
! Mexican troubles of the last 10 years.
Hands or Policy.
p Secretary Hughes Is on the ocean en-
| route from Brazil ana Acting Secretary
H Phillips is following closely the Harding
/ policy of keeping hands off Europe.
Il Thus far except for few messages OF
Il inquiry there isn't the slightest evidence
Il that any more American naval vessels
\ win be ordered to the trouble area To
assert American rights. And the inter
esting thing is that congress by its 81
lence approves what is going on. The
same opposition to an American man
date i'm Armenia, the same feeling of de
termination that America shall main,
tain Ter position of political isolation
which has dominated government policy
for the last year and q half is strong
enough to prevent any action that might
even remotely involve the use of force
If any Americans are in peril the United
States looks to Great Britain and Other
Il European powers to protect them just Il,
the latter used to expect America t
care for all foreigners in the western
hemisphere.