Evening star., 1938-01-03
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

When President Roosevelt delivered his
message to Congress this noon. the United
States went to War-radio war. BY ar
ranging to have the foreign affairs
passages of his address broadcast in
six languag ges-English, French, German.
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese-F D. r.
formally entered the intensive world
wide competition to influence interna-
tional opinion through the ether The
latest battle of the Wave-lengths was
also due to set in today, when the British
fired the opening gun in retaliation for
the propaganda campaign Italy has been
Waglng against them in the Near East
MuSSolini launched that particular COM
bat more than year ago, when Italian
stations began bombarding Palestine and
Arabia with Fascist broadcasts designed
to fOment anti-British unrest. France
has also accused II Duce of polluting
the air to stir up troubles in her North
African colonies Britain will now
reply to the Italian challenge by daily
broadcasts to the Near Eastern area in
native Moslem languages. Mr.. Roose-
velt's purpose in short-waving his mes
sage to Congress overseas is to make
sure that the latest expressions OF
Americas aversion to non-democratic
ideals breaks through the barriers OF
censorship to dictator ridden nations
which would otherwise never hear of it.
The Presidents chief hope Is that his
address will reach q multitude of Latin
American ears, long the victims of Italo-
German radio propaganda.
y X X X
Oppression of Rumanian Jews on the
mercileSs scale just ordained by King
Carols anti-Semitic new government has
twice before evoked official American
protest. In 1870, Hamilton Fish, Presi-
dent Grants Secretary of State, ad-
dressed vigorous remonstrance to the
Bucharest government. In 1902. Secre-
tary John Hay, during the first Theodore
Roosevelt administration, in a note to
Rumania, pointed out the tendency of
its anti-Semitic legislation to produce an
abnormal stream of emigration to the
United States. Hay said: The teachings
of history and the experience Of our own
Nation show that the Jews possess in q
high degree the mental and moral quail
flcations of conscientious citizenhood
+ The United States offers asylum to
the oppressed of all lands. but its SYM
pathy with them in no wise impairs its
just liberty and right to weigh the acts
of the oppressor in the light of their
effects upon this country and to Judge
accordingly. =" Whether consciously
and of purpose or not, these helpless
people, burdened and spurned by their
native land, are forced by the sovereign
power of Rumania upon the charity OF
the United States. This Government
cannot be tacit party to such an inter-
national wrong. 1t is constrained to
protest against the treatment to which
the Jews of Rumania are subjected, not
alone because it has unimpeachable
ground to demonstrate against the re-
sultant injury to itself, but in the name
of humanity
If anybody cares to know what Carter
Glass, the Nations eightieth-birthday
child, thinks about the state of the
Union, attention is called to the Vir-
ginian's rejoinder to this observers recent
greeting. To the salutation: Senator, I
hope you're well and happy" the noblest
Roman of them all replied with that in
imitable drawl which habitually emerges
from the southwestern corner of his
mouth: I'm WE'LL"
nN* X X
From the White House there's expected
to reach the Senate today or tomorrow
a batch of new and important diplo-
matte appointments. Surprise announce
ment will probably be the promotion Of
Norman Armour, Minister to Canada, to
be Ambassador to Chile, filling the
vacancy created by the retirement Of