Evening star., 1937-09-10
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

With one group Of American organized
peace advocates favoring invocation of
the neutrality act, and another Just as
generally opposing 1t, the President and
secretary Hull apparently feel they're
on strong middle ground in withholding
proclamation of state of war in the Far
East. It's recognized at both the White
House and State Department that Uncle
sam is clinging to pretty f1imsy fiction.
which may be exploded any moment by
TOXIC or Marking. The country at large
is about as divided as the peace advocates
on the question of putting the cumber-
some neutrality machinery in motion.
That may be the principal reason why
Mr.. Roosevelt hesitates to press the but
ton. The administrations attitude is
scrupulously impartial, though it realizes
that public sentiment on the whole in
cllnes pretty strongly toward the Chi
nese. AS enforcement of the neutrality
act would handicap China, rather than
Japan, that may be restraining inf1u-
ence. A desire not prematurely to inter-
fere with export trade-Dixies bumper
cotton crop, for examples another
factor. No such undiplomatic beans As
THESE are spilled when Ambassadors Saito
neither OF them, or any other well-in-
formed authority, can be in much doubt
as to what underlies our Governments
contentment for the time being to let
the neutrality statute rest and rust.
X 4
Nothing much has been said as to why
ondersecretary of State Sumner Welles
cnose this critical international period
Ior holiday in Europe, though some
EYEBROWS were raised over the report that
ne q sailed aboard the same steamer on
Wnlcn British Ambassador Lindsay
crossed. Because Of Welles' closeness to
both the President and Judge Hull, apart
from his official position and diplomatic
Importance. it's hard to believe that his
trip is purely q joyride Not in years has
there been SO urgent q necessity for
intimate contact between the United
states and other powers with stakes in
the Far East. 1t happens that Mr. Welles
Is an earnest advocate of a square deal
Ior certain "underprivileged" countries.
Addressing the University OF virginla's
institute OF Public Affairs in July, the
undersecretary of State used these sig
nilcant words: Surely we must have
learned that millions OF human
beings cannot be forced to face future
without hope think the causes of
the Ills from which the world. suffers
revolve primarily about the fundamental
TACT that the injustices and maladiust-
ments resulting from the great war
political, economic and financial-have
never yet been rectifed" Perhaps one
OF Mr.. Welles' purposes in Europe is to
see what can be done about this. Secre-
tary Hull. too, believes appeasement of
have not" nations essential to world
peace.
In view OF the G. I. O.-A. F. of L. yen-
detta the selection of a successor to Ed
McGrady as Assistant Secretary of Labor
confronts President Roosevelt with a real
dilemma. The Lewis and Green camps
are sure to scrutinze the appointment
with supercensorious eye. Organized
workers feel proprietary interest in the
labor portfolio and its personnel, and
generally demand q voice in the choice
of both the cabinet oficer and his prin-
clpal lieutenants. They were never COM
pletely reconciled to the appointment OF
Madame Perkins, holding at the time.
and more than ever now, that it's A
mans job. McGrady's accession to the
assistant secretaryship went far toward