It looks to me as if the Caranthir of the published Silmarillion text is mainly being pragmatic (and not very curious).
The Haladin are a small group and arrive at a time when Caranthir is not immediately under threat. They look insignificant--they got themselves chased northwards by the Green Elves, they settle on what seems to be no man's land on the section of the border that Caranthir is worrying about the least and they don't actually ask for his attention, apparently. He doesn't find himself aesthetically repelled by them, as by Dwarves, but unlike the Dwarves they also don't seem to offer much of interest. The fact that Finrod is disposed to make a fuss about the Edain would be more likely to put Caranthir off, because apparently he dislikes Finarfinian busybodies.. He doesn't expect the Haladin to be in danger where they are, either--it's a surprise attack by the orcs, virtually behind his back. He develops an interest when he sees the Haladin's valour. But I doubt, even then, whether he's actually thinking of "cannon fodder". After all, this already small group of people has just been further reduced--and considerably so--by the orc attack. (In the Nirnaeth, eventually, all the Haladin contingent will fall without getting themselves noticed very much...)
At the time when the Easterlings arrive, Caranthir's situation is very different. He's lost a great deal in the Dagor Bragollach, he is probably trying to take back Thargelion and certainly, later on, to secure the eastern front for the Union of Maedhros and he badly needs allies. The Easterlings, we are told, are numerous and they look like useful allies. (The Edain elsewhere have turned out to be more useful allies than Caranthir had originally expected, probably.) Except then it all goes wrong, of course.
This is probably different from the Caranthir of the earlier Legendarium, who is actually said to have loved Ulfang's people. But I think that Caranthir was not, at this point, involved with Haleth and the Haladin at all yet? Or was he?
On another note--with regard to the "cannon fodder" discussion--perhaps it is worth noting that at the time when the Noldor of Hithlum are themselves suffering their own grievous losses, they are explicitly said to mourn Hador and Gundor. The Noldor are also said to remember Barahir and his companions in song (even though apparently he gets no assistance from them in Dorthonion... Which worries me, although presumably the idea is that nobody can reach him).
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It looks to me as if the Caranthir of the published Silmarillion text is mainly being pragmatic (and not very curious).
The Haladin are a small group and arrive at a time when Caranthir is not immediately under threat. They look insignificant--they got themselves chased northwards by the Green Elves, they settle on what seems to be no man's land on the section of the border that Caranthir is worrying about the least and they don't actually ask for his attention, apparently.
He doesn't find himself aesthetically repelled by them, as by Dwarves, but unlike the Dwarves they also don't seem to offer much of interest. The fact that Finrod is disposed to make a fuss about the Edain would be more likely to put Caranthir off, because apparently he dislikes Finarfinian busybodies..
He doesn't expect the Haladin to be in danger where they are, either--it's a surprise attack by the orcs, virtually behind his back.
He develops an interest when he sees the Haladin's valour. But I doubt, even then, whether he's actually thinking of "cannon fodder". After all, this already small group of people has just been further reduced--and considerably so--by the orc attack. (In the Nirnaeth, eventually, all the Haladin contingent will fall without getting themselves noticed very much...)
At the time when the Easterlings arrive, Caranthir's situation is very different. He's lost a great deal in the Dagor Bragollach, he is probably trying to take back Thargelion and certainly, later on, to secure the eastern front for the Union of Maedhros and he badly needs allies. The Easterlings, we are told, are numerous and they look like useful allies. (The Edain elsewhere have turned out to be more useful allies than Caranthir had originally expected, probably.) Except then it all goes wrong, of course.
This is probably different from the Caranthir of the earlier Legendarium, who is actually said to have loved Ulfang's people. But I think that Caranthir was not, at this point, involved with Haleth and the Haladin at all yet? Or was he?
On another note--with regard to the "cannon fodder" discussion--perhaps it is worth noting that at the time when the Noldor of Hithlum are themselves suffering their own grievous losses, they are explicitly said to mourn Hador and Gundor. The Noldor are also said to remember Barahir and his companions in song (even though apparently he gets no assistance from them in Dorthonion... Which worries me, although presumably the idea is that nobody can reach him).