Evening star., 1938-03-29
B0RAH DENOUNCES
FORE|GNALL|ANCES
Difficulties in Policy of
Cooperation Stressed in
Radio Forum,


by Senator Borah of Idaho on For
eign Affairs" delivered last night in
the National Radio Forum, arranged
by The Star and broadcast over a
Nationwide network of the National
Broadcasting Co.:
Above the din of screeching and in
coherent propaganda, calculated, if
not designed, to break down the ira
ditional foreign policy of this Gov
ernment and involve us in foreign
controversies and wars, it was reas-
suring to hear the clear, sane voice
OF our American Ambassador in Lon
don saying The great majority of
Americans oppose any entangling al
liances. Most Americans insist that
their country retain its independent
and unmortgaged judgment as to the
merits Of world crises, as and when
they arise. This viewpoint has domi-
mated the whole foreign policy of the
United States and it endures to this
day. The United States has
no intention of attacking any one.
1t does not expect to be attacked. It
is now, and intends to remain, on
friendly terms with every country in
the world. If the force of events
should make it impossible for us to
follow this policy, my country will
decide, when the time comes, what
to do to preserve the welfare of its
own citizens"
This sound policy, here stated. is as
essential to the contentment and hap
piness of the American people and to
the power and dignity of this Republic
as when Jefferson first stated our for
eign policy to be: Peace with all
nations, commerce with all nations,
friendship with all nations, entangling
alliances with none.
While providing at all times ade-
quate national defense as against those
who would attack us, it should still
be the policy of this Government to
seek friendly relations with every
country in the world" regardless of
race or creed, political theories or
forms of government However alb
horrent may be the theories, or prac-
tices, maintained in other countries,
the amelioration of such conditions
does not lie in departure from the
sound foreign policy so clearly and
so well stated above and so long main
tanned by this Government.
Personal Opinion.
When the French Revolution, which
the younger Pitt declared to be the
terror and dismay' of the world, was
threatening all Europe, when the only
government in France was the Com
mittee of Public Safety. with its Dan
tons and its Robespierres, George
Washington, with unanimous approval
of his cabinet. in which sat Alexander
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, ex-
tended recognition to this improvised
government of France. No one could
detest the things then happening in
France more than the man whose very
name was a synonym for ordered lib
erty. It is one thing to personally re-
ject an ism, or a political creed, but
it is wholly different matter to per-
NIT these things to change interna-
tional relations.
It seems worth while, in view of
the studied effort to use the happen
ings in Europe as the basis of our pol
icy in the United States and as a
means to throw our people, directly or
indirectly, into European affairs, to
review some rather recent history that
we may understand just why these
things are happening and the moving
forces underlying the happenings.
Whoro thu Sn-eo11ad reoooo troofioc
were signed at Versailles, ancient states
had been dismembered, national
boundaries re-established, vast colonial
possessions given over to the victors,
people showed about from sovereignty
to sovereignty, with no more choice
upon their part than have cattle which
are prodded from one corral to an
other. All Europe, and parts of Asia,
had been redistributed, divided up, par
celed out, largely in accordance with
the terms of the secret treaties made
while our American boys were being
conscripted to fight in foreign coun-
tries for the preservation of democ-
racy. In the vindictive fatuousness
which so often comes with the after
math of war, it seemed to be believed
at that time that this arbitrary divi-
sion Of the world would stand, that the
Ptolemaic theory of the universe could
be applied to politics, that the world
no longer moved, that the status quo
was sacred and blessed with immortal
ity, that the have nations" would be-
come the righteous nations, and the
etoo vNtcD ,,r,sirlafon,yc Avad
furthermore, that the United States,
with her man power and her money,
should maintain and underwrite the
status quo. Hence, the League of Ma
tions!
Treaty Brought Unrest.
OF course, such treaty could not
stand. It af1ronted every principle
passion of the human heart, that of
nationality. It soon brought Europe
to state of bitter unrest and short
ly to hunger and want and unspeak-
able suffering upon the part of the
masses. AS a result, all nations, even
in the midst of economic paralysis,
began to arm. While the hospitals of
tIlc IldIlUllS were SGlll CTOWuCQ WIFI
the manned and the insane, every
where there was preparation for war
really preparation for the main
tenance of the terms of the Versailles
treaty. The Versailles treaty is the
mother or modern armaments. There
has been no peace in Europe since
1t was written and it seems to be Ger
tain there will be no peace until its
most unjust terms are ameliorated or
rejected.
This condition was unforeseen; in
fact, it seems from the things which
followed that the makers of these
treaties anticipated the happenings
which are now being recorded. Wis
count James Bryce, the author of the
American Commonwealth" declared
at Williamstown, Mass: "The seeds of
future wars have been sown in Europe
by the deliberations and the findings
Of the Versailles conference" From
. much humber source-I may be