Evening star., 1937-12-22
HenryL. Stimson Opposes ar Referendum
Text of Article by Secretary of State Under Hoover on
Ludlow's Resolution

our country this system Of responsi-
bic representative government in the
decision Of peace and war has worked
very well. Manifestly the two most
important considerations In judsine
the success OF Nations war-mak-
ing policy are, first, that the Gov
ernment should be extremely con-
servative In deciding that It must
fight and, secondly, that, when war
becomes inevitable, the war should
be wased successfully by q united Ma
tion.
Fair judgment must admit that
both Of these conditions have been
abundantly satisfied by the working
Of our present system. Our Presi-
dents have been conspicuously re-
1uctant to recommend war until SUD-
ported and, indeed. urged by their
people. Mckinley waited for months:
Woodrow Wilson for three years. each
in the face Of constant provocation
and popular pressure. When they
finally laid the matter before Con-
gress and Congress acted, they were
followed into war by q practically
unanimous popular support.
In 1898 the war was fought entirely
by volunteers, and many more thou
sands Of men struggled to serve than
could be accepted by the Government.
In 1917 the, country cheerfully SUD.
ported Selective Service Act. under
which 100000 men were enlisted
and 100000 sent overseas with the
practically unanimous patriotic back
ing OF the entire country. Judged by
these criteria. the United States
showed greater unity and patriotism
than other countries much closer to
the conflict and much more directly
endangered.
Effects Of the Change.
In short. our present system in these
two most vital respects has been
successful and effective. Our Nation
although unmilitary by nature and
unwilling to make the usual prepara-
tpns for trouble which other nations
feel obliged to make. although 1t has
been unwilling to support large armies
or heavy expenses in equipment in
time OF peace, and although tradi-
tionally it has kept itself aloof from
foreign policies and happenings, vet
when our leaders have recommended
that war was necessary 1t has entered
war with such unanimity and patriot
ism as to be uniformly successful.
What Is almost equally important
IN this troubled world, it has thus
made such historic record or both
moderation and success as to cause
1t to be both respected and feared by
nations which might otherwse have
threatened our peace or interfered
with our national policies.
Let US now see what effect the pro-
posed change would have upon this
generally successful constitutional
system upon which We now depend
The proposal seeks to place certain
hard and fast limitations upon the
power of our representatives to take
warlike action. Under 1t there must
pc "an invasion Of the United States
or OF its territorial possessions" and
also an attack upon its citizens resid
ing therein Its supporters seek to
draw line At the geogra phical
boundaries of our territory and to pre-
scribe that our defense shall not begin
until an enemy reaches that line, and
furthermore shall have actually at
tackled our citizens within it. The
proposal Is apparently based on the
assumption that nation cannot be
effectively attacked except by an old
fashioned invasion apd that If We
wait until that happens we can still
satisfactorily defend ourselves.
Fantastic Assumption.
Today this is so untrue Is to be
fantastic. 1t entirely ignores the
power and speed Of modern urban con-
struction and economic organization.
1t would At once terminate the sound
system upon which our American na :
tional defense has been planned for
many years. That plan has recognized
the historic desire Of our people to de-
vote themselves to peaceful pursuits
without being required to keep q large
standing Army for protection. 1t has,
therefore, endeavored to keep US free
from dangerous neighbors. Since its
very foundation our Government, hav-
ing during the Revolution experienced
realistically the bitterness of invasion,
by every means in its power has en-
deavored to keep invasion as far away
from our shores rs possible.
To do this we have made our first
line Of defense . diplomatic one 1t
has been drawn by the warnings of
our President to other nations that if
they got too close to US they would be
unwelcome; We should regard 1t Is an
unfriendly act. This warning was
necessarily backed by the implication
of force-that If the warming was dis
regarded. the transgressor might ulti-