Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-16
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Wire Service to The Journal
Copyright, 1921


BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Wire Service to The JOurnal.)
Copyright 1921
NEW YORK, Aug. lathe situa-
ton in Europe is almost as incredible
as it was in August, 1914.
With genuine misgivings, might
one ask: Have the nations of Eu-
rope gone crazy. again? Are they
determined to begin anew years of
organized murder and challenge
again the capacity of the white man
to develop a Christian civilization?
For the facts of Europe are sor-
rowful and pitiable. Seeing first
hand the plight of Europe is the
only way really to grasp what
dangerous situation for all the world
is being bred there. Americans re.
turning from the continent utter
prayers Of thanks that the United
States is three thousand miles away,
and some of them come back con.
firmed in their beliefs that America
ought not to get itself mixed UP in
the quarrels or troubles of Europe.
Scores of senators and members of
the house, business men and casual
observers feel that way about it.
Never has Europe been so thorough
ly studied" as this summer by the
thousands of tourists and political
pilgrims.
More to, Be Pitied
But it is one thing to turn a cold
shoulder to distracted Europe be-
cause the situation is distasteful-
| nothing could have been more dis
tasteful than the events that
prompted America. to enter the war
in 1917-and it is another thing to
look with eyes of sympathy and
speak words Of plain, straight-for-
ward, logic to the European peoples.
For Europe is more to be pitied
than Scorned.
+ In such a situation American
silence, American aloofness, Ameri-
can caution easily can be mistaken
for the timidity of selfishness. De-
spite all that has been said since the
peace conference, the fact is Europe
does not understand America. Be-
wildered first by the miraculous
transport of two million men to
rescue the allied cause, the same
peoples cannot grasp the reason for
e. sudden crawling into the shell
without so much as a kind look.
There is, however, more sane
thought about Europe in America
than there is in Europe itself.
America can help to lead Europe
out of the wilderness when the right
time comes. When the foundations
have been built by the Europeans
themselves. First there must will
to get together and d gree upon facts.
Never was there such mixture of
motives, prejudices, hatreds and
suspicion with what one would like
to call facts" except that there are
no such things in Europe today.
Facts Deliberately DOdged
No two nations agree, for In
stance, upon what Germany's ca,
pacity to pay PREPARATIONS can posi-.
bly, be. No two factions in Germany
can agree on it either, and as for
Great Britain, one needs only to
read half the British press and see
how terribly militaristic and grasp
ing France has gotten all of a sud-
den and turn to the other section
of the British press and discover
how surprisingly pro7German the
British government is accused of
behaving. Nor is France without
dissension, though it must be said
in candor the French people are
more of a unit in their policy of
keeping Germany from getting on
her feet than is any other country
in Europe.
You can not find agreement be-
tween the many countries as to
what Germany has already paid or
what she can pay. And there is un-
fortunately good reason TO believe
certain interests in Europe do not
want any such agreement. They do
not want to be bothered by facts.
They want to achieve certain aims
Behind the scenes of diplomacy
is big business. Stretching eager
hands for booty these captains of
industry manipulate the parliaments
and legislative bodies of Europe as
surely as the ventril0quist does the
puppet on his knee. Newspapers
right and left are subsidized or con-
troled. With one or two exceptions
the words public opinion" mean
the tyranny of certain groups who
play upon popular emotion the tunes
that stimulate the dance of CONNER.
cial or financial ambitions.
That's why governments are so
inconsistent and seemingly power
less and that's why so many Amer
leans after peering behind the
scenes. shake their heads obviously,
pack their luggage and thank God
for the Atlantic ocean.
Need Americas Confidence
AT best this is superficial con-
clusion because Europe cannot at
tempt suicide again as she did in
1914 without injuring the economic
prosperity of the American people.
The preacher who abandons his pull