Evening star., 1937-09-19
FAR EASTERN ATTITUDE,
OF AMERICA STIFFENINC
Roosevelt Has Adopted Stimson Policy
OF Hostility to Aggressive De-
signs of Japan.

are in less danger OF an aggression
than other nations.
President Roosevelt and Mr.. Hui.
are worried lest this new diplomacy
may throw the world into such mess
that we shall have to content our
selves with living exclusively within
our boundaries and restricting our
economic and industrial life to the
needs of our own population.
While President Roosevelt and Sec
retary Hull are in full sympathy with
the peace policy of Neville Chamber
lain and Anthony Eden, and as anxious
AS they to avoid war at any price;
while they believe that the road to
economic and moral recovery is by
peace and not by war, Washington and
London differ at the present moment
in the method of approach.
The British have more at stake than
we have in the Far East and other
parts OF the globe. Their policy for
the time being is to take it on the chin
from whatever quarter the blows come.
and to say nothing about it until they
are fully prepared on sea and in air.
The British foreign Office, so sensitive
IN the past, has developed a pachyder-
mic skin.
The President and Secretary of State
do not agree that this is the wisest
stand in the face of the provocative
attitude of the .totalitarian states.
They feel that this extra-mild policy
Is more conducive to war than a firm
attitude-and this belief is based on
past events.
Feeble Gesture by Britain,
In 1885 Italy undertook to conquer
Etniopla, defying all existing treaties
ana agreements. Britain made a fee
BILE gesture of determination bv send
ing her feet to the Mediterranean.
Ihen, scared at the consequences of
such action and the determined mo"
| from Mussolini, Britain enforced only
weakly blockade which, in fact, was
not enforceable, and Withdrew the
ships when they proved to be useless
as an instrument of intimidation.
In 1885 Hitler junked the Locarno
pact and the remaining political
clauses Of the Versailles treaty when
ne entered the Rhineland with armed
forces and began to fortify that section
OF Germany. Had the French at that
tlme availed themselves of their for
mldaole military, naval and air SUPER
lority and told the Germans to stay
out' many OF the recent developments
would not have taken place. But the
| brltlsh were scared in 1885 and the
french were scared in 1896. The
State Department has no opinion re-
garding the merits or dement's of the
German claim that they ought to be
permitted to do what they like in their
own territory, but it has definite views
That treaties must be respected and
any changes which time may make
necessary should be performed by
mutual agreement and not by force.
Because Of these experiences of
other nations, the White House be-
lieves that any yielding to force. where
our nationals have rights based on
international treaties, would be fatal.
Possibly it would momentarily ease
the situation, but once we adopt a
DO as you please, gentlemen" policy.
there Is no saying where the encroach-
ment will stop.
Flexible Stiffness.
These are the underlying reasons
Tor the apparently firm stand of the
administration in the Far East. 1t is
really flexible stiffness. Neither
the President nor the Secretary of
State is looking for trouble. No
olctatorial notes have been sent to
| TOXIC. Our Ambassador there has
talked informally with the Japanese
high officials and told them that we
90 not intend to relinquish the rights
OF our citizens and our interests in
the Far East to the whims of the
japanese expansionists. The japanese
Ambassador in Washington was told
the same thing. To these representa-
tlons We were told that there is
nothing further from the minds of the
japanese than interference with their
American friends rights. The past
policies OF the Toxic administrators
nave shown us, however, that we can
not rely on any assurance given by
the Japanese government. 1t is toe
much under the influence Of the mill
tary and the vested interests to be
able to follow policy of international
honesty. This has been intimated to
The Toxic leaders on more than one
occasion.
because OF this awkward position OF
the officially responsible Toxic leaders.
the Far Eastern situation is considered
mere as being fraught with danger
AS long, therefore, as no more serious
incidents occur such as the shellinp
OF the U. S. S. Augusta-incidents
inevitable IN an area where two armies
are fghting-there will be no strong
representation on the part of this
Government. But any attack on the
American flag in contempt of existing
International rules and agreements
Will be treated seriously in Washington
Wnlle 1t is recognized that the
civilians in the Toxic government do
I W pAOfOhC l1lF united
states, there is always a possibility
tnat some independent commander ot
warship will try to distinguish him.
sell by attacking vessel fying the
american flag. In such incidents q
we go back to recent history ths
superior officers support their SUBJ
ordinates and squelch the Toxic civil.
ians. The incident of the machine.
cunning Of the British Ambassador to
China is typical example.
In such an eventuality. officials ir
washington say. the japanese vii
find us in less patient mood than
they found the British, because neithe,
the President nor his advisers believe
that yielding to bully is a safe
policy.
Copyright. Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Huge Statue of Christ
Ds1s II