Evening star., 1937-10-07
PARIS AND LONDON
SHY. AT i. S. LEAD
Attitude Is Still Reported
Europe Crisis Bars Force
in East.
BY PERTINAX.

PARIS, October (N.A.N.A) -
President Roosevelt's speech in Chi
cago, contrary to what has been said
In America, caught the French gov
ernment entirely unawares.
William c. Bullitt, the American
Ambassador, before leaving for the
United States, did not conceal the
fact that he intended to warn the
President that international danger
was steadily on the increase and that
something ought to be done to ward
It off. ,e--
Similarly, last June, Maxim Lit
vinov, the Russian commissar of
foreign affairs, after talk with
Anthony Eden, British secretary of
foreign affairs, at the time of the
coronation, urged upon Washington
the necessity of setting up some ma
chlnery for consultation between the
Pacific powers, but Washington ap-
parently thought it better not to take
the matter in hand
Therefore, the French ministers
were quite unprepared for the presi-
DENTAL statement that henceforth ira
ditional neutrality was no longer to be
regarded as Americas safest bulwark.
To Edwin c. Wilson, the American
Charge d'Affaires, the French foreign
minister, Yvon Delbos, yesterday ex-
pressed the gratefulness of the French
government and people to President
Roosevelt for his bold pronouncement.
How Can Step Be Appraised.
But in what way can the step taken
by the head of the American Nation
be considered as a constructive con-
tribution to peace?
am not sure that the Washington
and Paris administrations share the
same views about it. The highest
authority here called Roosevelt's new
definition Of policy an energetic at
tempt to mobilize public opinion
throughout the world against potential
aggreSsors. At the same time he OBJ
served that to mobilize public opinion
did not necessarily mean very much
under present circumstances, where,
indeed, deeds and not mere words are
Of real account. AS a consequence,
the question as raised here is to
ascertain how the American attitude,
ss outlined at Chicago, can be eX-
pected to lead to concrete action and
improvement in the political outlook.
In that respect the following points
can be stressed: First, all competent
persons in the French and British
foreign Offices are one in thinking that
1t would be a fatal mistake for Amer
3can diplomacy to endeavor to involve
Great Britain and France in Far
Eastern affairs, however important
may be the interests at stake there.
The French and British governments,
at the present time, have their hands
very full in Europe.
Vital Threats in Europe.
On the morrow of the Hitler
Mussolini meeting in Berlin, Britain
and France find the most vital inter-
ests committed to their care directly
threatened in the Mediterranean and
Central Europe. Were they to divert
part of their attention and resources
to the Sino-Japanese conflict, they
would unavoidably lose strength nearer
home and more than ever prove un-
able effectively to deal with Hitler,
Mussolini and Franco. The motto OF
the French and British cabinets as a
result is that the Mediterranean,
Spanish and Central European prob
lens must take precedence over all
Asiatic developments until the Ger
man and Italian dictators have been
conciliated or curbed.
Every available assistance will
readily be given the United States if
it is truly ready to face the Far East
ern issue, but it must never forget
that it is coming forward as a pro-
tagonist and cannot expect help that
would detract from the capacity of
Britain and France to resist the to-
talitarian states With that reserva-
ton, the Washington Government will
be left practically free to decide as
to the procedure to be enforced to
keep watch on the Chinese situa-
ton, either through the organism of
the League of Nations or the practi-
cauy autonomous Nine-Powers' Com
mittee.
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