Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
u. S. HELD ENDANGERED
BY CAPPER RESOLUTION
Presidents Decision Would Class Nation
as Belligerent by Declaring
Export Embargo.

would be laid upon us. since the in
terruption of our exports might easily
exceed the damage incurred by any
other power. In that situation it is
clear that in advance, as a pendant to
the Capper resolution, there ought to
be some series of treaties which would
obligate all coercing powers to bear a
pro rata share of the costs.
Unless this were the case the mere
decision of the Austrians and Germans
to unite, having been pronounced an
aggreSSion-aS it would be under the
existing treaties-might result in para
lying our export trade with Germany
and Austria. And the League nations
would do no more than employ their
fleets to shut out American commerce.
We, on our part, If the President fol-
lowed the League example and de-
clared Germany to be the aggressor,
would have TO pay the expense of the
European action in terms of reduced
trade and incident unemployment
Nor can one mistake the political i'm
plications. II one suppose that Europe
has pronounced Germany guilty of an
aggression. it is not less clear that at
the next election the President of the
United States and his political party
will have to reckon with the political
consequences of having accepted an
anti-German decision, which, in the
minds of the millions of German
American citizens, would inevitably APP
pear unjust. The situation would differ
only in degree were Italy. and not
Germany, pronounced an offender.
Just as soon as there was crisis in
Europe, before there had been an ac-
tual violation of the peace treaties,
there would open in this country a
tives of the nations at odds, their SYM
pathizers and their supporters in our
own country. On both sides the effort
to persuade the President to decide the
other the aggressor would take the
form of domestic struggle. We should
have a far worse situation than in
1914-I6. On the other hand, in Europe
every kind of maneuver would be re-
sorted to to disguise the fact and
escape the responsibility.
Means Domestic Strife Here.
1t follows, then, that under the Cap
per resolution any European dispute
between great powers would, even be-
fore ID led to faostilities in Europe, pro-
woke domestic strife in the United
States. Since the decision of the Amer
lean President might easily determine
the victor in the European quarrel,
thanks to our embargo, no racial group
in our country could fail to endeavor
to exercise its influence in the choice
of nominees. A political party eager
to win q doubtful election would at
once have to realize that it would court
defeat by choosing candidate suspect
ed by the Germans. for example.
Moreover, all our export trade would
be constantly under the menace Of sud-
den suspension whenever two Euro
pean powers got into q dispute and one
Of them resorted 70 the use o. force
under such circumstances as TO be
liable to be pronounced the aggressor
by Geneva or by washington. 1t would
be established that, to punish an ag-
gressor, we should be prepared TO sur
render our neutral rights and bear the
enormous costs of an embargo.
Only in case the President OF the
United States should decide that both
parties were equally guilty could there
be left any neutral rights for US. Only
then could we insist upon our rights 70
trade with all nations. But IN practice
we should be condemned in advance to
take sides in every European quarrel,
to stand ready to sacrifice our domestic
nrnsneritv founded increasingly upon
EXPORT trade. to the policing of Europe.
to undergo domestic tumult ana TO
have European dispute made the
decisive issue in our own elections.
In word, on the assumption that
we could keep the peace in Europe, we
should risk having perpetual tumult
and worse In the United States and in
return for having our President made,
in 8 sense, the chief policeman OF man
kind. we should run the perpetual risk
of seeing ourselves saddled with the
largest expense in every police opera
ton. That is the Capper resolution in
nutshell.