Evening star., 1938-09-27

e 0USSOllU1
who, while osten- "A''o Lawrence
sibly an ally of Germany, has every
reason for wanting to maintain peace
In Europe.
Mr.. Roosevelt's appeal for peace may
have been subtle bid for mediation.
Clearly, when a neutral power comes
forth with q suggestion that specif-
acally mentions the existing treaties
which provide for settlement of dis
putes by pacific means and when the
neutral power Is herself a signatory
to the treaty providing for pacific
settlement, it requires no stretch of
the imagination for Britain and
France or for Germany to consider
the United States as possible mediat-
ing influence.
What seems to be at issue is meth
Cd Of evacuating the Sudeten territory
which will be satisfactory to Germany
and to Czechoslovakia and q ma
chinery for negotiating further guar
Antees once the formula for evacu-
alton Is decided. The situation is
made to order for an alert mediating
government, provided there is really a
sincere desire on both sides for the
avoidance Of war.
Big Stumbling Block.
Herr Hitler's speech with its dy-
manic phrases did not add or SUBJ
tract from the situation as viewed
here. Some one has to give way in
order that peace formula may be
consumed and some outside influence
may possibly be of avail between now
and October in assuring the removal
of the big stumbling block-the evacu-
alton plan.
Unquestionably, Czechoslovakia and
the British and French would accept
Americas mediation. Would Herr
Hitler? He hardly could refuse with
out difficulty if the others accept.
The responsibility for making war is
not an easy one for any nation to
bear and governments customarily try
to give the impression that they have
done everything to prevent war
Mediation is a historic device often
called good Offices" and it is no re-
treat for q government engaged in q
critical controversy to accept medi-
alton.
It will be recalled that in August, 1914,
President Wilson made q tender of
good ofnces on behalf Of the United
States Government but 1t came too
late. Maybe Mr.. Roosevelt's appeal
for peace, though not q mediation
offer, has come too late also, but
Americans generally will be glad for
the sake of the record that he made
It anyhow.
The mediation Of Premier Mussolini
might appeal more to Hitler than that
Of q country as far away as the United
States, especially since American medi-
ators would require so much time to
get into action. The Italian dictator
has a basic sympathy with the Hitler
aims, but, on the other hand, If the
German dictator wants to find a
formula for backing down which will
not hurt him with his own people
he can make grandoise peace ges-
ture and agree to Italian mediation.
Genuine Desire for Peace.
The formal initiation Of negotiations
through the auspices Of power friend
ly to Germany and to the British and
French would be tantamount to cast
ing the die for peace. Such mediation
will come only if behind all the bluff
and bluster Of the last 10 days there
is a genuine desire to avoid war. The
belief prevails here that none of the
nations wants to risk war and that
the blufing will 60 to the very limit,
even to the point perhaps of sending
German troops to occupy the Sudeten
area by which time possibly the inter-
vention of mediating influence might
be more acceptable to Hitler and
then arrangements to settle the va
rious points could proceed in more
leisurely fashion.
To America the mediation job
might be distasteful because it would
involve cries from some tsolationists
that the United States was becoming
entangled. But the task OF mediation
Is one which no government Of stand