Evening star., 1935-02-10
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS

ABROAD, IOr IL Is ana Is QeSClOeQ 10
remain a permanent item in shaping
American foreign policy. That fact
Is that, whatever sentiment in favor
of international cooperation may
exist among certain classes in the
upper brackets, there is among the
masses a profound and abiding dis
trust Of any such association. And
so strong is this instinct or prejudice
that 1t is possible at any time to
arouse a wave of popular protest
against any project which, like ad-
hesion to the World Court, can be
represented as carrying with it foreign
entanglements.
That is the political fact which
is bound to be decisive and has
been ignored at all times by the
various groups and societies favoring
entrance into the League or mem
bership in the World Court. Even so
good politician as the President
himself mistook the latent force of
this popular feeling. And Senators
Johnson and Borah would probably
concede their surprise, not perhaps
at the revelation of that force, but at
the speed with which it was modified
to permit them to win what seemed
lost fight.
Carries Certain implications.
Now, this force, disclosed once
again as it was in the treaty fight
| almost half a generation ago, car
r1es with it certain implications. The
day after the vote in the Senate it
was apparent to all observers that
were new test to be had majority
would be disclosed against the project
Of adhesion to the Court. It was
clear, as well, that if the question
OF cooperation with Europe were
raised by any other project, most
| OF the Senators who had half
heartedly supported the Court would
enthusiastically oppose such project.
What American friends and cham
pionS Of all forms of internationalism
have now to recognize is that from
the point of view of practical politics
these things have become impossible.
They have become impossible because
the votes have been disclosed in the
| other camp. Overnight it would be
possible again, as in the recent in
stance, to mobilize volume of protest
and agitation too formidable for any
Senator to care to affront.
Opposition Underestimated.
The strength of the opposition has
been steadily underestimated and
often ignored by the champions OF
| lntaYnQ finYao lieP0 vii ,fy -.
past few years since the Hoover ad-
miniStration carried its policy of CO.
operation with the League to un-
precedented lengths the conviction
has spread among the friends of the
League that the United States was
moving rapidly toward Geneva. Some
OF those who returned from Geneva
| this Winter came satisfied that with
| the entrance of the United States into
the Court membership in the League
shortly was equally well assured.
The domestic phase of the question
| would not be SO important were it
not that broadly speaking it is the
champions Of internationaliSm who
come most closely in touch with
Europe, both in Geneva and elsewhere.
Every year there are thousands of
Americans who travel to London,
Paris and Geneva and bring the glad
tidings that the United States has
| changed its mind about the League.
Most of these visitors are unofficial.
but not few have entree to official
circles abroad. Practically without
exception, however, they have no con-
tact with the mass OF American voters
or politicians.
MiSled as to Sentiments.
Coming into contact with this seq
ment of American public opinion and
none other, as European statesmen
do, they are constantly being misIed
as to American sentiments. They be-
Geve that such opinion is divided into
two factions-one, which is over
whelmingly large, favorable to inter-
national cooperation and League
membership, and the other made I'D
OF few Senators and William Ran
dolph Hearst, who are hostile In
this conviction they are also strength
ened as they see successive admin
lStratlonS advocate a Kellogg pact,
cooperation with the League in dis
armament and adhesion to the Court.
At Geneva there is a small but ac-
tive group of propagandistS, some
holding paid positions with the
League, whose major occupation is to
interpret every American episode in
such fashion as to make it appear that
the arrival of the United States in
the Palace OF the Nations is bound to
come, If not tomorrow the day after.
To the Europeans who accept these
League agents as typical Americans,
such views are accepted as representa-
tive. and as consequence it is i'm
possible to find anywhere in the world
so inexact and distorted a conception
OF the political realities in the United
States as at Geneva.
If the result of the World Court
fight would only convince European
statesmen that it is the Senate and
not the eager, enthusiastic, generally
sincere, but invariably uninformed,
American Leaguers which can speak
for the United States, something very
useful would be attained. For that is
the political fact. No matter what the
unofficial spokesman of American pub
lie opinion say, no matter what vague
and encouraging proposals Norman H.
Davis puts out, whether in Paris or
Geneva, the truth is that these are
going to be smashed by the Senate
once they are submitted, as they must
be, for senatorial approval.
National Sentiment Grows.
Neither the President Of the United
States nor the Secretary of State can
today, or in a future possible to limit,
successfully intervene to change in
the slightest degree the Senate's reso-
luton to follow the traditional isola-
zionist course. Outside of small groups
of the so-caled intelligentsia, there is
in this country no international senti-
ment. In fact, at no time since the
last days of the Wilson administration
has the nationalist sentiment been so
strong as at the present moment. And
the recent World Court episode has
rung alarm bells in the minds of every
practical politician.
It is little more than a year now
since Mr.. Davis was proposing to the
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