Evening star., 1938-01-02
Panay Incident Is Regarded
As a Boost to Dictatorship
Settlement May Have Been Best for Economic
Interests of y. S., but 1t Was Blow
to Democracy.

that the Panay incident was unintentional
and mistake" which the Japanese gov
ernment regretted.
The State Department foaned and
fumed when that note was received.
Secretary Hull Undersecretary Welles, AS
sistant Secretary Hugh Wilson and Adviser
Stanley Hornbeck all went into a huddle
and most of them were of the opinion that
the note was far from satisfactory. Lon
don and Paris were called on the long
distance telephone. Both the British and
the French governments indicated their
Willingness to cooperate with whatever
steps Washington might decide to adopt.
But they wanted the United States to take
the lead and bear the brunt of whatever
positive action might be necessary.
Mr. Roosevelt's political advisers were
called in. 1t was admitted that the sensa-
tlonal outrage of December IL had reused
the country, but it was a far cry from
righteous Indignation to the backing of
naval demonstration which might re-
suit in war. Experts warned the Presi-
cent that the political consequences of a
rash action-from the point of view of
internal politics-might prove disastrous
to the administration. And the wise men
summoned to the White House expressed
the opinion that what Japan had offered
was sufficient to satisfy national dignity.
Ii the japanese were again to break their
pledge and flout American prestige with
another move like the sinking of the
Panay, the President would then have
more support in making show of force.
Thus, the war dogs were called in, and
the japanese note received with the usual
diplomatic satisfaction" although neither
the White House nor the State Department
is satisfied
Dictatorship Helped.
The Japanese American incident had
assumed significance of world proportions.
The entire problem of dictatorship versus
democracy was brought to the fore The
problem was: If the most powerful of
the world democracies-the United States
accepted vague satisfaction from the
weakest member of the Berlin -Rome-Tokio
trlumvrate the idea of relationships would
gain added impetus throughout the nations
OF the world. On the contrary, if America
stood firm and demanded full and un-
equivocal guarantees from the Toxic gov
ernment. the prestige of dictatorships might
be impaired and the forward march of
absolutism and militarism be halted.
1t is for this particular reason that
the British government decided to deplete
its naval forces in Europe and send a
powerful fleet to the Pacific. It is for the
same reason that the French government
offered to dispatch a substantial naval air
torce to Saigon to be on hand in the
event something happened
These two European powers recognized
That there was golden opportunity to
weaken the Berlin Toxic Rome alliance by
taking one link out of their chain. Now,
observers fear the dictatoral idea has
once more triumphed in the eyes of the
weaker nations.
The course followed by President Roose-
velt in dealing with the fundamental causes
OF the sinking of the Panay might have
been the wisest and the best for the eco
nomlc Interests Of the country. But many
paciflsts in Washington fear the political
consequences of his acceptance of a mega
tive satisfaction-for in South America
now the wind of a dictatorship blows
stronger than ever.
Copyright Mcclure Newspaper syndicate)