The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1937-10-21
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National Topics interpreted ~ 149A9S
.. by William Bruckare TIIlflnI&
afonaPr washin D. G
Our Foreign Policy

Our Foreign Policy
Washington.-I doubt that there
is any phase or function of govern
ment that is less understood by the
people at large than questions or
actions relating to foreign policy. It
is easy to understand why this is
so. American foreign policy, like the
foreign policy Of every other nation,
is closely akin to patchwork. It
cannot be otherwise because of the
very nature of the matters to be
dealt with officially. Foreign pol
icy, indeed, is one thing to which
President Roosevelt's oft quoted
statement about his decisions resem-
bling those of a football quarterback
can be most properly applied. 1t is
a day-to-day treatment with new
decisions as changes come in the
international play.
This brings us to the presidents
Chicago speech and the announce
ment by the state department Of
American conclusions that Japan Is
the aggressor in China. OF course,
all persons who have read anything
about the Sino-Japanese war knew
long ago that the Japs were con-
Quoting raid on China. Officials
of the government knew it also, but
there is a difference and must be a
difference in the methods employed
by individuals as distinct from those
employed by a nation which repre-
sents all Of it's individual citizens.
Time had to elapse, therefore, be-
fore our government or any other
could say definitely and publicly
that Japan was seeking to acquire
new territory by theft and seizure.
Many observers and many indi-
viduals have indicated that their
surprise at the Presidents speech
which, by the way, was the most dis
tinct pronouncement Of any that he
has ever made. There was likewise
surprise when the secretary of state,
Mr.. Hull, gave the press his state
ment condemning japanese agrees
sion even though the statement
should have been anticipated after
Mr.. Roosevelt's Chicago speech and
after word had come from Geneva
that the League Of Nations appeared
unanimous in the same conclusion.
The reason that I say there
should have been no surprise con-
corning the final position which our
government has taken traces back to
the administration of President
Hoover and Henry L. Stimson, then
secretary Of state. It was at that
time that q fundamental change
took place in our foreign policy but
It was not change that appeared to
be sensational at the moment. In
other words the position which Mr..
Hoover and Mr.. Stimson took at
that time was overlooked because
there was no real crisis to attract
attention to America policy.
What that change in policy did is
plain now. It was the beginning Of
the end Of the isolationist program
which followed the bitter contro-
versy over President Wilson'S pro-
posal that the United States affili-
ate with the League Of Nations and
adhere to all phases Of the pro-
gram embodied in the league cove
nant. The reaction against Mr.Wil-
sons plan was violent and carried us
to the other extreme-so much so
that for number Of years we were
q lone wolf among nations in fact
as well as in name.
The one thing that really repre-
sents an important change of policy
that Mr.. Roosevelt enunciated at
Chicago IS his view of neutrality.
Without making any particular ref
erence to the neutrality statute en-
acted last winter under the spon-
sorship Of Senator Pittman of Ne
vada, Mr.. Roosevelt announced
without equivocation that the Unit
ed States will do everything it can,
short Of military force, to curb the
japanese course in China. That is
to say, and I believe it is accurate,
we will not invoke the neutrality
laws II such a course will do harm
to the Chinese. Rather, the Amer
lean policy for the time being at
Yeast involves working hand in
and with other nations that may
We striving to maintain internation-
al order and morality in matters in
which We are directly concerned.
Keep Out of Far East War
have been asked several times