Evening star., 1936-08-16
Member Of the Associated Pres.
The President on Peace.

= In the field of foreign relations the
Democratic administration, under the
leadership of President Roosevelt and
his able Secretary of State Mr.. Hull has
incurred a minimum of criticism. At
Chautauqua Friday evening the Presi-
dent was in the happy position of being
able to speak with the eloquence born
of an assurance that what he said was
distinctly in keeping with the strong
public sentiment that exists today. The
result was good speech, effectively de-
livered. 1t was more than that. 1t was
a strong speech, an important enuncia-
ton of foreign policy, exceeding the
demands of mere lip service to the cause
Of peace, frankly recognizing the difficult
ties besetting the course of neutrality
and warning the people where the pit
falls may be expected to lie. These pit
falls are all the more dangerous because
they are not dug through the machina-
tions of unfriendly powers, but by our
own people in the pursuit of selfish gain
fools gold"
The President is more concerned and
less cheerful about international world
conditions than about our immediate
domestic prospects, We are, indeed,
''most singularly blessed among the
unhappy nations of the world today.
The United States has given effective
demonstration to non-intervention
policy among her neighbors of the West
ern Hemisphere and is hopeful of as
strong a demonstration, through the
Pan-American Conference in December,
in the cause of continued peace among
the American republics. We have CO.
operated in efforts toward disarmament,
We have repeatedly affirmed our lack
of territorial ambitions, we have kept
free from political entanglements, we
have sought to remove barriers to inter-
national trade, we ask only for friend
ship. If there are nations that wish
us not good but i'll, they know that we
are strong; they know that we can and
will defend ourselves and defend our
neighborhood."
But the danger of war among the
nations abroad springs not only from
the legacy of old, forgotten, far-of
things. and battles long ago." but from
newborn fanaticisms, convictions on
the part of certain peoples that they
have become the unique repositories OF
ultimate truth and right" The nature
of such danger makes it more imme-
diate more difficult to escape. We have
protected ourselves in advance from GER
tain causes of ENHANCEMENT, the Presi-
dent said through new weapons with
which to maintain our neutrality. But
"the effective maintenance of neutrality
depends on the wisdom and de-
termination of whoever at the moment
occupy the Offices of President and Sec
retary of State"
That is partially true. But it depends
--as important as must be the day-to-
day decisions of the authorities-on
the development and the continued
strengthening of popular sentiment will
ing to pay the price for neutrality and
peace. That price, as the President says,
would be high. In the event of war
abroad Americans would be urged to
end the evils of domestic unemployment
by taking advantage of war-born COM
mercial opportunities. Credit extended
to nations abroad would build homes and
factories here. What is more, promises
of immediate commercial gain doubtless
would be fulfilled. They would not be
idle promises The material cost of
neutrality might be counted in the
dollars and cents lost through surrender
of foreign trade, billions of dollars year.
And added to the incentive to gain
through the troubles of others would
be the purely emotional sentiment of
large elements in the United States
whose sympathies with one side or the
other are traceable to those same new
born fanaticisms, convictions on the part
of certain peoples that they have become
the unique repositories of ultimate truth
and right" No foreign nation holds
monopoly on such fanaticisms- have
our share of them here
The maintenance of neutrality de-
pends not only on the intelligent con-
duct of foreign affairs or the practical
instruments, or weapons, that may be
forged through legislation. It depends
on public sentiment and the desire of
the people to keep out of war. The
Presidents speech is an important con-
trlbution to the strengthening of both.