Evening star., 1938-03-15
Eagle, Ostrich or Bat.

Eagle, Ostrich or Bat.
Comment on the rape of Austria is
withheld in authoritative Washington
quarters on the ground that the United
States lis not involved" Is that so? AS
q distinguished Democrat, once happy
warrior, liked to say, let's look at the
record. 1t is not an altogether undocu-
mented record. We are not involved as
yet. as far as the laying of NaA cat-o'-
nine tails on the backs of recalcitrant
American workingmen is concerned. We
are not involved, so far, if the crossing
of our frontier by an invading German
army is meant. We are not involved, to
this hour, by any demand for inclusion
of American Nazis in the Washington
cabinet. We are not involved by the
substitution, voluntary or enforced, of
the swastika for the Stars and Stripes
at the White House or the Capitol. On
none of these scores does the triumph
Of brute force in Austria to date directly
or Immediately involve this people.
But We are still involved in the Decla-
ration of independence, the Constitution
Of the United States and in the Bill of
Rights. We continue to be involved in
all the sacred truths and principles
which underlie those foundation stones
Of human liberties everywhere, including
the doctrine that all men are created
equal, are endowed with certain in
ahenable rights, and that governments
derive their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed.
In August, 1921. two years after the
Senate refused to ratify the treaties
which the allied and associated powers
signed at Versailles and St. Germain,
respectively, with Germany and Austria,
this Government concluded separate
treaties with those countries. In both
cases the defeated Central Powers en-
tered with the United States into all the
covenants which the former pledged to
the Allied Powers, including those affect
Ing Austria's independence. To us Ger
many acknowledges and will respect
strictly the independence of Austria"
To us Austria proclaims that her in
dependence is inalienable otherwise than
with the consent Of the Council of the
League of Nations" Germany and
Austria accorded to the United States
"all the rights, privileges indemnities,
reparations or advantages" ceded to the
Allied Powers, despite our non-ratifica-
ton Of the Versailles and ST. Germain
pacts. The single exception, respecting
Austro- German union, was the incorpo-
ration In the separate treaties of a
clause setting forth that the United
States assumes no obligations" That
provision did not absolve Germany and
Austria from the duty of preserving
Austria's independence. They have
broken their treaties with this country.
There is further pertinent document
In evidence. It is President Roosevelt's
Chicago speech of October S. That pas
oAoAouC PlOCCot dSd4AAoU u1CUdGu ldA
tyranny and aggression was not, it is
true. a binding pronouncement Of gov
ernmental policy, but it stands as the
ofdcial expression of the American view
point on crimes against civilization such
as Adolf Hitler has just committed Far
more today than when they were ut
dc Nf <1aA
ring warningly in all ears not stuffed
with the delusive cotton of isolationism:
III those things come to pass in other
parts Of the world, let no one imagine
that America will escape, that it may ex-
pect mercy, that this Western Hemi-
sphere will not be attacked, and that
It will continue TRANQUILITY and peacefully
to carry on the ethics and the arts of
civilization" If those sentiments of
Franklin Roosevelt do not denote that
the United States is involved" in a
tragedy like unto that which has over
taken Austria, then language has ceased
to have meaning.
No right-thinking American pleads for
participation of his country in a move
ment to restore Austria, futility from
which even Great Britain and France
shrink and which leaves covering Mus
solini both mute and inglorious. But
there must be many man and woman
in the United States, on this day of
Austrias crucifxion, who devoutly
wishes craftsmanship would evolve the
wisdom and generate the courage at
least to let Hitler know that the Ameri-
can people profoundly resent events on
the enslaved Danube. II we are not
ready to become involved" even to that
extent, it Is time to remove the Eagle
from our coat Of arms and substitute
the ostrich or the bat, or both.