Evening star., 1935-09-13
j. S. STAND SEEN
AS PERIL TO PEACE
Britain's Lore Fight for
Treaties Is a Rebuke to
American Isolation.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The spectacle of Great Britain, alone
Of the major powers, standing up for
the preservation of peace while the
United States, sponsor Of the treaties
to outlaw war, sits silently by except
for a perfunctory appeal, long will be
remembered as the answer to those
who think idealism has made any real
strides under the New Deal.
Everybody knows which country Is
the aggressor in the present dispute.
Britain has pointedly warned Italy.
The United States refuses steadfastly
to discuss the merits of the case. Rome
therefore, construes the American ap-
peal as expression of pious hope
rather than as an indication that the
United States will use her moral force
against a violator Of the Kellogg
BRAND treaty.
This, after all, is the essential point
In preventing war and Norman Davis,
Ambassador -at-Large, once indicated
that the United States Government
might take such viewpoint in world
affairs, but his speech was promptly
assailed by the isolationists and moth
ing further has come from President
Roosevelt to support that practical
view of war prevention.
Hull Is Disciple Of Wilson.
The purpose Of President woodrow
Wilson in helping to create the Assem-
bly of the League of Nations was to al
ford a forum through which world
opinion could be expressed, through
which, indeed, the moral force Of man
kind could bS made articulate without
the red tape and camouaaged words
of diplomatic notes and exchanges.
Great Britain has spoken. The SEN
timent in England against being
drawn into a war is just as strong
as it is inside the United States.
But the British know that supine
attitude can only lead to greater con-
fiict in Europe than an Ethiopian war.
Secretary Hull is Wilsonian DEM
ocrat. But the Department OF State
today Is directed by President Roose-
welt. He has been persuaded by the
economic nationalists In MS en-
tourage, the people who broke up The
London economic conference, that 1t
is better for the United States to do
nothing and say nothing in world al
fairs which might remotely drag the
American people into a controversy
even Of words.
Economic Discrimination Possible.
But the sight of a weak nation be-
ing trampled by strong nation
hardly can be viewed by the Govern
ment of the United States without
formally disavowing the signature she
placed on the Kellogg BRAND treaties.
II America means never to lift her
voice for peace when such word Is
needed. then other governments will
soon discover that American rights
abroad are worthless and can be
trampled upon at will. Nations that
care little about their rights in the
end find humiliation and economic
determinations that bring results
worse than war in misery and unerrl-
ployment. -
Long before there was a League Of
Nations the United States Govern
ment was accustomed to speak out
whenever there was a threat Of gen.
eral war. This was prompted not
merely by desire to preserve trade,
but in the interests of humanity as q
whole.
If the conflict over Ethiopia should
draw Great Britain into the struggle,
would America be able to ship goods
uninterruptedly to Italy2 Would it
be possible to export foodStuffs and
other supposedly military articles
to European countries which sided
with one or the other group of bellg-
erents? Our experience In the last
World War showed how, from a posi-
tion of strict neutrality, the United
States was forced to a participation
in the war.
~ Test Of League at Hand.
-, Looking back now, the voice of
America in 1914 was feeble one be-
cause it had never before realized
how far-reaching would be the i'm
plications Of supposedly local con-
fiict Today we know how a Balkan
crisis precipitated world war.
There are proposals for the settle
ment of the Ethiopian controversy
which commend themselves to fair
minded persons. They answer the
cry of Italy for room for expansion
commercially. But they do not an
I'LL Ice f~r
stubborn militarism born of auto
cratic powers at Rome such as the
Kaiser possessed at Berlin 81 years
ago.
The test of the League has come,
but also the test Of the moral force
of peace-loving nations like the
United States. America need not be-
come a belligerent by speaking her
mind now. but she may become a bel
Igerant against her own will If there's
another European war. The only
practical problem is which course will
really help to prevent war. Italy will
never venture to carry out her ambi-
tious program in Ethiopia against all
World opinion, including America and
France.
1T will be interesting to see whether
New Deal foreign policy soon will
undergo a change or remain in
tensely nationalistic and self-centered.
Mr.. Roosevelt has the decision in his
own hands and probably is weighing
at this moment the wisdom Of throw
ing American influence into the scales
for world peace.