Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-05
Monday, February 5. 1923.
ON WINDING OUR OWN BUSl'
NESS

and IS acquainted with conditions
Of which lie assumes to speak is
dealing OUT the whole truth to Amer
lea.
Observers OF The trend Of affairs
in this country have been conscious
for some time Of a growing DISPOSE
ton 10 make excuses for the Ger
mans, 20 accept their propaganda as
to inability to pay, as the truth,
end with characteristic American
impulse to experience sympathy
with the one they fclt was the under
dog and to speak Of it openly.
\ few days ago the secretary Of
tho treasury felt it to be his duty to
say that he knew of mo reason for
taking any more favorable position
with respect to the German govern
ments associated with us during the
war lie said something. He did it
because of the Bursum bill to cstab-
food for selling to the Germans on
credit
TIC effect of this changing at
titude Of the American people on
Senator Reed received vigorous OK
preston in his recent remarks be-
fore the Senate, in course of which
he said:
Mr.. President, Why the sudden
outbreak of sympathy for one of
those two nations Why was it that
in 1914 we did not break out with u
similar outburst of sympathy with
the Bclsians" Heaven knows their
country was invaded with fire and
with sword, and not merely the
threat of it. Their country was in
vadNd in direct violation of a treaty
to which this country was a party,
and Yet we did not raise our voices
in this fashion to Sympathize with
tho Bclgians who were invaded.
Northern France was devastated
its churches. its homes, it's fields.
and its orchards laid waste. but
somehow our sympathy did not
break into voice the way it has been
doing here in recent days.
All the laws of nations were de-
fled when the Germans let loose
their poison gas at Yprcs. and We
sat quiet. We did not break into
voice then, as we are doing now at
an invasion that is not attended by
murder and disregard of internatlon-
al law.
The women and children at Lille
were dcportcd by the invader. and
sent off in practical slavery 70 work
IN German factories, but somehow
the Senate of the United states re-
memlCrod then that it was Amcri-
can. and it managed then to control
Its expressions of sympathy.
When. i'll the spring of 1915, our
German friends, with whom We
were at peace, saw fit to torpedo
the Lusltarla. and hundreds of
Americans had their shricks Of
agony stiflcI with the gurgle OF
death as they sank into the Atlantic
Ocean, somehow we managed to
stay neutral. They why in Gods
name can we not stay neutral to-
day. when rctribution is coming to
those murdCrcrs of Bclgians, and
French. and Americans?
What is it that dracS us to the
front now to protest because Ger
many has to pay what she has
promised to pay? Why should we
suddenly grow maudlin in sympathy
because the murderer is having to
CXpiatc his crime Why should
America throw herself into this
present difficulty in the Rulr and
take steps to show her pity for these
people who are asked to pay only
what they have promised to pay
who have been excused from the
nj npnn1tics ,,-ln
excused 10y us from the payment of
our war costs. who have been OK
Cused for all the burdens of taxa
ton they have thrown on the civil
lied nations of the world.
There is talk about the unborn
children of Germany having to pay
these separations Mr.. President
there is not n man or Il woman or a
child who hears my voice at this
minute who viii not be dead long be-
fore the American people have ceased
TO pay excessive taxes as the result
OF German violation OF international
law. We Will all he dead before
American taxpayers have ceased to
pay tribute to Gcrmany's desire to
control the world. DO not we forget
that when We begin to wallow in
sympathy with German taxpayers
Mr.. President. what Germany is
asked to pay now is the mere cost
of restoration of the damage she did
in Belgium and France and the mere
cost OF the police force which has
had to stand guard along the Rhine
l am not speaking alone my own
sentiments. my own private views.
l think l am speaking as the Ameri-
cans who fought in France would
speak If they were here in the
Chamber: I think I am speaking as
our men who died in France would
speak II they could utter their
thought today. tell you. Mr.. Presi
dent. We are forgetting our own dead
when We begin to waste sympathy
because France has levied execution
for this reparations debt.
Mr.. President. there was a de-
fault-clearly there was a default
IN the reparations PAYABLE by Ger
many; clearly there is no inclina
tion on the part of the Germans to
pay those reparations. The bully
swaggered in 1914. 1915, 1916. and
1917 now whines because he is beat
en-. Every bully whines when he Is
peaten. Are we going to allow our
selves to be deceived by that?
What talk did we hear of unborn
generations Of French when in 1919
and 1917 the Germans thought the,
we're going to win, and their experts
were busy calculating what was the
utmost franc they could make France
pay. and what was the utmost round
tnat they could make Great Britain
pay. and what was the last dolla,
mat they could squeeze out of this
great Nation of ours, which they sc
nightly envied? Did any of the Ger
\ mans stop to think about the unborn
generations OF American children
whom they then proposed To tar I,