The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-11

clAFed Ag0lnSt the FreS"
 ent Policy of Isolation
 for the United States.
 Washington, oct. ll-No single reason sufhces to explain why Roosevelt and the State Department have suddenly and completely rec versed the previous national policy of isolation and so-called neutrality which Congress in It's wisdom was commonly supposed to have enacted Into law. N.
 The Roosevelt quarantine" speech at Chicago and the subse- quent government statement brand- ing Japan aS an aggressor nation in China were no part of Q plan of positive action aside from the administration willingness to con- suit with other signatories of the nine-power treaty which theoreti- eally guaranteed Chinese soVere- ignty.
 Sanctions and provisions for
 economic boycott or similar action
 are omitted from both the nlne-
 power and Kellogg treaties. The
 administrators only recourse ls
 to exhortatlon of the American
 public. Unless it applies the neu-
 trallty act to both China and Ja-
 pan, in effect, the neutrality has
 been completely repudlated.
 Positive action, according to the best inside information, Is to be confined to an educational campaign designed to educating the country that isolation IS an illuSory ideal and that concerted action by peace- loving nations Is essential; to as- ruring League of Nations members that this country iS willing to CO., operate to m undetermined extent; to assuring Japan, Germany, and Italy that the United States Is not going to be Ns pacifistie as the neu- trality act would seem to require, What Congress will have to say about oil this remains to be seen, The Violent Contrast
 The violent contract between the new policy and previous policy Is indicated by the fact that an ad- miniStration backed embargo on arms to Spain, c duly recognized nation invaded by Italy and Ger many, flashed through the House last January by Q vote of 406 to 1, and through the Senate by 30 to 0,
 Behind recent developments are these facts, although not neeessar- fly In the order of their import- tance:
 1--Roosevelt and Secretary Hull IL are omotionally on tho side of the Democratic" peace seeking nations s som c lines called the "HaVeS," as distinguished from the dietAtor-led, aggressive and warlike 'HaVe.nots." Their fear of dictator- ships and the ultimate menace threatened by faScism If 1t should sweep the rest of the world is genuine and widely shared.
 O-Roosevelts instincts although ~ peaceful-impel him to step out on the world stage in c star role, although these instincts have been somewhat restrained by healthy regard for the popular desire to avoid steps which might lead toward war.
 0-The State Department, which O was unalterably opposed to neutrality legislation and success fully labored to prevent 1t from being made mandatory, clings to the old traditions which have kept 1t deep In Far Eastern politics for 70 years or more. The "Open Door" policy as to China iS no dead letter and there is still c vague but strong belief that Amerieas destiny iS more or less wrapped up In Asia. I-Domostic considerations cannot ~ be ignored. Although this gov- ernment'S leap into the internations al situation tends to rally support behind Roosevelt and to blur nem- ory of the Biack-Klan incident, it is more to the point to reveal here- with that Roosevelt has persistently contemplated use of the sour inter- nal state of Fascist nations to point on object lesson to Americans in aid of his legislative proposals.
 May Hold Bag" Again
 Norman Davis, this country's mysterious Ambassador ct -large," was here the day the unsatisfactory Japanese reply to our note protect- Ing bombardment Of Chinese cities came in.
 He sat in on c huddlc at which conferees agreed on the desirability of firmneSs. Meanwhile the State Department crowd seems divided into three groups
 FIRST, Hull and those who ap-
 prOach the international problem
 on mOralistic grounds.
 SECOND, those who hold to the
 traditional of practical interna-
 tiOnal politics and balances of
 power.
 THIRD, those who view recent
 moves with concern and seek
 early mediation and cOncillatiOn,
 fearing that England and France
 will again leave the United States
 holding the bag In the Orient.
 Meanwhile 1t Is encouraging to remember that in all the history of our friendship for China and i'm. piled opposition to Japanase ex- pansion, this country has never at any time been prepared to go to bat to enforce its policies by mili- tary action.