Evening star., 1937-10-07
The Next Step.


Roosevelt's stentorian call for "a con-
certed effort" to muzzle the mad dogs
OF war was intended to be merely
platonlc expression of American public
opinion. 1t is certainly not so regarded
across the Atlantic. There, democratic
governments and peoples have eagerly
welcomed the Chicago speech as evi-
dence that Uncle Sam, in the repentant
guise OF the prodigal son, has at length
returned to the Versailles built house
OF his fathers, having cast off the gar
ments OF isolationism, and willing hence
forth to do his part in salvaging and
regeneratlng a war-shattered world.
Mr.. Roosevelt's winged words had
many merits but clarity was not among
them. Yet. in advocating quarantine"
of treaty breakers and lawless war
makers through positive efforts to pre-
serve peace" the President went far
toward committing himself to steps and
measures Of far more material fiber than
aAlNNDtANot SdQCklNCo. WIdL Will Ile neXC
move be? Early Developments fore
shadow that it will originate in Geneva.
The League of Nations yesterday by
unanimous Assembly vote notified Japan
OF the possibility of international action
to curb her aggression against China.
The warning is embodied in resolutions
looking to a conyocation Of the sigma
tories Of the nine-power treaty, incIud-
Ing the United States. American officials
are prompt to indicate that this Govern
ment's participation in such council
OF peace is assured.
The nine-power pact provides only
for consultation. 1t emissions no sane
tlons or other punitive action. Yet con-
sultation obviously would have no pur-
pose except to implement that concerted
effort" to which the President on Mon
day referred in crescendo of emphasis.
Japan's nine-power pact associates will
convene in the presence of at least one
cast-iron certainty-that mere moral
appeal will not dismantle a single bolt
OF her mighty war machines A highly
placed spokesman at Toxic on Tuesday
reveals Nippon's current mental pro-
cesses by declaring that I'VE japanese
cannot stay our hands out of respect for
world opinion formed on the basis of
dispatches rewritten by Chinese gov
,,-,,,,, o,,f ;o1-
regime in that frame of mind is not
likely to stack arms in response to
anemic resolutions of remonstrance. It
will take stronger medicine than that
to bring Tokio's war fever under control.
Dispatch of fleets and armies to the
Far East to fight Japan into submission
to international law can be ruled out
as beyond the realm of probability
America certainly is in no mood to make
war to stop war already raging. But
there are ways of bringing the island
empire to reason short of the use of
armed force. Economic pressure is, of
course, the most potent of them. It is
also the one which even Japanese mill
tarists shudder to contemplate. 1t might
take the form of boycott of Japanese
produce, of an agreement to cut off cred
Its and raw materials and OF variety of
positive efforts" to discourage prosecu-
ton OF the China campaign Whatever
betldes, peace-craving mankind needs to
keep before itself the inescapable fact
that tangibles, not imponderables, are
the need of the hour. They are as es-
sential for shackling the despoilers of
Marking and Shanghai as they are for
suppressing the Illicit war-makers in
Spain. Nine-power or ninety-power
action that shrinks even from eco
nomic suasion courageously applied is
doomed in advance to merit nothing
but contempt in Toxic, Rome and
Berlin. And it will deserve nothing
better. The sooner Americans and all
others concerned are clear on that
score, the sooner will they approach the
grim realities of the situation with some
hope OF results. It is no time for
ostriches.