The Washington times., 1937-01-01
WAR PROBLEM
IS PUZZLE TO
PRESIDENT
By EARL GOODWIN

President Roosevelt is the ques-
ton of how to keep clear OF
European wars, much more
complicated puzzle Than most peo
pie realize.
The President, quite familiar
with the fact that his own pol
icies will have to run the gaunt-
let of a Congress already split
into factions over how to keep
the United States from entering
another World War, realizes, too,
that he has before him almost
exactly the same problem that
President Wilson had in 1914
1915.
At that time, President Will
sons ideals to save democracy"
were understood by an extremely
limited number Of people. Today,
President Roosevelt has before
him the same problem of saving
democracy-only now, a quarter
of a century later, the dictators
whom woodrow Wilson saw IN
his minds eye, are on the job
in Europe. and are Is years
closer-up on the business OF re-
moving democracy from Europe,
to say the least.
Has Sounded Keynote
President Roosevelt has sounded
his keynote more than once. bat-
est outline of his ideas, Ideals
and policies is his pronouncement
in Buenos Aires. Diplomats, who
have never had much to do with
direct dealings. are apparently
finding fault with the Presidents
trip to South America-but the
trip. the speech. the general re-
suit is said to be part OF the
Presidents worldwide plan for a
build-up of democratic peoples
versus the military and SoclallsC
relationships now having their
hey-day in Europe.
The United States is now neu-
tral by law: a law which came
out of the Senate investigations
into the so-called munitions trust.
This legal neutrality gives the
State Department look-in on the
shipment to warning countries OF
the so-called munitions of war.
The State Department now per
mitS or prohibits shipments OF
munitions of war-and. although
the law does not include civil wars
like that in Spain, nevertheless
the State Department has con-
Strued the present law so broadly
as to keep American implements
of war out Of Spain, unless by
some type of international boot
Logging.
Nightmare at Hand
However, the question of just
what is "munition of war" is
getting ready to give everyone a
nightmare. 1t is easy to find ma
tion-wide support for a prohibi-
ton of the shipment of arms. am
munition, tanks, guns, bullets,
shells, military airplaneS, etc. No
body suffers but the So-called
munitions trust, composed of long
suffering gentlemen who have
been used to abuse for ages.
But suppose that American neu-
trality depended also on an en-
barge on cotton, corn, wheat, cop
per, oil and other great basic
products. In the past, whenever
there was an attempt to stop ship
ment of these necessities in war
time with prices soaring and mar
kets booming, the people most op-
posed to strict neutrality have
been the entire population of those
sections producing and living on
these basic articles.
1t would be difficult to stop the
export of cotton, for instance, if
Europe demanded it as a muni-
ton OF WARMTH the price shoot
ing Skyward-and India and Egypt
quite ready presumably to sup
ply the demand if we did not.
Take 1t Apart
1nterminable rows tore the
Wilson Administration apart over
just such questions. Washington
was filled with high-priced propa-
gandists and war-minded diplo-
mats. The ordinary man on the
street was deprived of a fair and
clear view of this country'S posi-
ton with respect to the Euro
pean war, because there was
almost no chance to keep the dis
cusSionS clear of prejudice and
selfish interest.
In the midst of this turmoil, the
Wilson political managers cam
paigned for his reelection on the
slogan, HE kept us out of war"
and Immediately on his reelection,
the country started toward war
without hindrance.
Twenty years later finds Pres
1dent Wilson's Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy, who had con-
siderable to do with the naval
end of the war, in the White
House striving to beat off the
rising tide of war and to take up
the cudgels for democracy versus
dictatorship; surrounded on all
sides by well-meaning lawmakers
and publicistS who have various
means for preventing exactly
what happened in 1917 when this
country was dragged into war by
the trend of tragic events.