Evening star., 1935-05-01
CANADIANS DISTURBED.
But Governments Understand War
Plans Based on Theory.
NV rnNsTANTVNr upour
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTiNE BROWN.
Canadian newspapers have been
playing up" heavily the "indiscre-
ton" committed by the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee in making
public the alleged American military
preparations on the Canadian border.
While the Canadian government is
little concerned about the matter, the
usual diplomatic steps of asking the
State Department for information
had to be taken in order to pacify
Canadian public opinion. A high
Canadian authority stated this morn
ing that while the whole matter is
a tempest in tea pot, the concern of
the public in Canada is natural be-
cause we are a small nation on the
borders of large one"
That Brig. Gems. Charles z. Kill
bourne and 2. M. Andrews indicated
TO members Of the House committee
that certain military preparations
must be taken on the Canadian
border and talked about the danger
which military bases on islands
close to the shores Of the United
States may present to this country, is
not worrying foreign governments,
although the report has been trans
mitted to them in full by their Wash
ington representatives, along with the
severe rebuke President Roosevelt
administered to Chairman McSwain
Of the House committee.
Practice Is General.
1t is well known that every general
stan in the world has plans in its
files dealing with the possibility of a
war with almost any known country.
The war plans division in every war
department throughout the world Is
compelled to make such studies, taking
into consideration the most unlikely
premises, regardless as to how friendly
the political relations between the two
countries may be.
This is well known to every foreign
government, but only little understood
by the people in general
The indiscretion committed by the
House Committee has consequently
produced a painful popular impress
sion in Canada and Americas chal-
lenge" was taken up by a certain
section Of the British press.
But what created a sensation in
foreign diplomatic quarters was the
statement made by Representative
Maverick Of Texas that "the most
dangerous things these days is these
admirals messing round with things
the Secretary Of State ought to do"
Foreign diplomats have come to
realize that under the present ad-
ministration the foreign affairs of the
United States are more completely di-
rected by the White House than at
any other time. On certain occasions
they felt that the advice from quar-
tiers other than the State Department
has prevailed upon the President and
believe that the statement made by
Mr.. Maverick throws a possibly clari-
flying light on the heretofore con-
fused picture.
Berlin Note withheld.
It Is recalled among foreign diplo-
mats, for instance, that when Ger
many announced 1t had junked the
military clauses Of the Versailles
treaty, the State Department had pre-
pared a strongly-worded note to be
sent to Berlin. Ambassador at Large
Norman H. Davis had been summoned
from New York to help put the final
touches on that note which, while
not dealing with the Versailles treaty,
was dealing with the military provi-
sions Of the American-Germ peace
treaty.
At least one foreign Ambassador who
had advance information on what was
from an "unimpeachable au-
thority" cabled his government the
good news" which created for "a
hours enthusiasm in the chancellories
of the interested nations. AS q mat
ter of fact, on the strength of that
advanced information the nations d.
rectly interested in the Versailles
treaty decided to delay the sending
of their own notes to Germany, wait
ing for America to take the lead, on
the theory that Hitler could not fail
to be impressed by Americas lead.
The note never materialized, how
ever, and these diplomats are wonder |
ing If Mr.. Maverick really hit the nail
on the head, If generals as well as
"admirals" are included in his COM
ment as to conduct of foreign affairs.
In the light of what has happened. 1t
is obvious that those dealing with the
situation from the real
istic point of view were dead right in
advising the President against sending
a note which would have shared the
fate Of the French and the Italian
notes and be thrown in the waste pa
per basket BY the German foreign
once.