Evening star., 1938-03-29
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY C. GOULD LINCOLN.

minded, does not see much difference
between foreign alliances and "co-opera-
tion." He said as much in the National
Radio Forum last night, discussing the
question OF Foreign Affairs" as they
affect this country. He put up very
persuasive argument to prove his point.
His address, which was broadcast
throughout the country, was apparently
designed to offset the talk of Co
operation" by President Roosevelt, Sec
retary Cordell Hull of the State De-
partment and others who have spoken
for the administration.
Cooperation, said Senator Borah, has
an excellent sound. It is only when we
get down to brass tacks that the Ameri-
can who does not believe in entangling
alliances --and both the President and
Mr.. Hull insist they are opposed to such
alliances-finds himself puzzled over CO.
operation by this country with another
nation. Senator Borah pointed out the
difficulty Of arriving at measures Of CO.
operation with another nation, discuss
ing cooperation with Great Britain.
Some Americans, he said, had desired the
United States to cooperate with Eng
land when Anthony Eden was in the
saddle and he did not wish to negotiate
with foreign dictators but even thought
OF whipping" those dictators.
In the twinkling of an eye, he showed,
Mr.. Eden was no longer directing British
foreign policy and Mr.. Chamberlain was
in his place. Mr.. Chamberlains policy
is one OF negotiation with the foreign
dictators. Where, suggested Senator
hot l1Tk Y1,a;k kaL
States If 1t had engaged in cooperating
with the British government while Mr..
Eden was charting the course? Decid-
edly, there seems to be something in
what Mr.. Borah has to say. On the
other hand. If the United States had
been willing to "co-operate" with Great
brltaln, Mr. Eden might have remained
in the saddle, and the United States
might have been drawn very danger
ously into these European quarrels.
y ~
Senator Borah's proposal is simply
that the United States remain friends
with all the world and mind its own
business This is good program. How
ever. it takes two to be friends, and il
another nation or nations should beside
to be no longer friend or friends of the
United States, there may be war after
all-if the peace-at-a t-any price party does
not prevail.
The Idaho Senator takes the question
OF Americas foreign relations very seri-
ously. He started speaking out plainly
about them back in the days when the
versailles treaty and the League of
Nations Covenant were before the Sen
ate. He called the Versailles treaty last
night the mother of modern arma-
ments,' since 1t was unjust and unwork-
able. Ever since 1t was negotiated, he
maintained, the world has been arming
Tor war. What the trainers of the
Versailles treaty did to Austria was far
more disastrous for the independence of
that country, he said, than what Mr..
Hitler has Just done.
~ ~
The burden of Senator Borah's talk
was that Americans should stop, look
and listen before they permit themselves
to be drawn into "co-operation' with
any nation, even though the present ad-
ministration is talking Of cooperation.
After all, he said, who is to decide with
what nation we shall "co-operate" and of
what that cooperation shall consist?
Presumably the Chief Executive, in
charge of foreign relations and their
negotiation, will be the man to decide.
While Mr.. Borah does not like the
talk of cooperation advanced by the
President and Mr.. Hull, he gave his
hearty approval to the address recently
delivered by American Ambassador Joe"
Kennedy in London. Mr.. Kennedy, he
pointed out. said that the American peo-
pie do not like entangling alliances.
Most of them insist upon retaining a
free and independent hand to act as they
see fit in foreign affairs. America has
no intention Of attacking any one. but
intends to remain friends with all. If
force Of events makes this impossible,
Mr.. Kennedy said America will then de-
eide what it shall do to preserve the
welfare of its citizens. All this, Senator
Borah insisted, should help to clear the
air. What he fears, apparently, is that
other voices in the administration will
not sing the same tune.
Xxx *k
The discussion of foreign relations
very likely will bob up when the Senate
considers the billion-dollar naval con-
struction bill, which has passed the
House and Is now before the Senate
Naval Affairs Committee. To some of
the Senators this proposed building pro-
gram Is excessive and they will say so.
But whether they do or not, the naval
bill will pass the Senate by substantial
vote-just as it did the House. It is a
tough proposition to beat naval con-
struction bill in the American Congress.
Fortunately there are a good many
Americans who, believing in no en-
tangling alliances, feel that it is neces-
sary for the country to be prepared to
defend itself. The two positions are
entirely logical and supplementary to
one another.
The President got his Government re-
organization bill through the Senate by
the skin Of his teeth. Three votes changed
would have sent the measure to strangu-
lation In the committee from whence it
came. It was victory for the admins
tration-won after desperate fighting.
But it was victory that gave evidence Of
the weakening hold which the adminis-
tration has over Congress. Presumably
the House will follow suit and pass the
Presidents bill. However, the drive
throughout the country to beat the bill
finally has developed astoundingly in
the last few days. With representatives
Of the American Federation of Labor,
the American Legion, the railroad
brotherhoods and many other organiza-
tions working against the bill as it