Evening star., 1938-02-20
US. Parallel Diplomacy Keeps
Britain Handy if War Breaks
Congress Befuddled by Foreign Policy That Means
"Lone Wolf" America Might Join
DemOcracy's Pack.

WAN
can no longer live solitary, isolated life,
there is no doubt that the administration
has been following in recent years policy
OF cooperation with other democratic
states, "for the good of world peace"
The State Department is averse to use
OF the word 'co-operation." It does not
sound right to the ears of the general
public. Instead it has chosen the word
"parallelism. We have been paralleling'
with Great Britain ever since the Italians
went into Ethiopia. Sometimes the British
have not quite understood the meaning of
the word but that must be overlooked"
There is no written agreement between
the two governments regarding common
action in the Far East or elsewhere: there
Is no need for such an agreement in par
allel diplomacy" The interests of the two
nations never meet-like parallel lines
yet they are in many cases similar.
The Secretary of State was correct when
ne emphatically denied the existence of a
definite understanding between the two
governments. But there might be a paral-
lelism between the eventual action of the
two navies. And if We look back in the files
OF 1886 We find statement made by the
former British premier Stanley Baldwin,
IN the House of Commons. indicating that
the British government was willing to place
at the disposal of the United States NAVY
the facilities of the worlds most important
naval base-Singapore. There is no written
or verbal agreement about that. It is not
necessary. But should parallel action be
deemed necessary to curb the growing ap-
petite Of the Japanese militarists. there is
nothing to prevent the United States Fleet
from using Singapore. and possibly Hong
Kong. to repair its ships which might find
themselves in the Pacific.
U. s. Navy Confident.
American naval experts, who know the
relative strength of the various fleets our
Navy may some day be called to meet. say
that We do not need help from the British
neet. Should our national interests require
a blockade Of Japan, after all other means
OF persuasion have failed, they are con-
fident the United States warships can do
the job thoroughly. There is not a single
oficer who has been with the feet in the
last IL months who is not fully convinced
Of this.
IT now and then there have been inti-
nations that in such an eventuaity the
presence of some British units would be
desirable, the reason is that the "realists"
want to avoid an end of the paralelism
when it might suit the convenience Of the
British government. Although there are no
definite or indefinite commitments between
the two governments regarding the various
tasks their naval forces might be given, it
explained in official circles in Washing
ton that preliminary exchange of infor-
nation between friendly nations is neces-
sary. In fact, the naval agreement Of 1896
provides for an interchange OF information
between the governments regarding their
building programs and the progress Of the
ships which are on the slips.
Toward the end of January this year
Capt. 1ngersoll. chief of the War Plans
Division in the Navy Department, was sent
to London. Sensational reports indicated
that Capt. 1ngersolls visit was shrouded
with the utmost secrecy: that he landed
IN small port under an assumed name
and was rushed to London, where he was
Kept in secluded apartment: that the
British admirals and generals gave him
the inside of all the British war plans
and the latest on the Japanese building:
that 1ngersoll had with him conclusive
proofs that the japanese are building not
only superbattleships, but also fast, small,
yet deadly mosquito vessels with incredible
cruising radius. The story, as printed in
some Of the confidential" reports circu-
lated at the price Of $3.50 year, was better
than most of the Oppenheim novels.
Secrecy Rumor Punctured,
The truth is that Ingersoll went to
London under his own name. His depar-
ture was kept confidential in Washington
and his arrival in London was not pub
licized. But the report that the chief of
the War Plans Division was sent on what
is termed officially an unimportant errane
does not hold water.
1t appears from indscreet tidbits from
London, which have reached Washington
recently. that he did discuss with the
admiralty all the possibilities" which
NlSAV ucVclOp III Tile near III tllS
uncertain world. He is believed to have
obtained first-hand information regarding
British plans of action in the Atlantic and
in the Pacific and to have acquainted the
British admirals with the potentialities of
the American Navy. That certain tech
nical aspects of the situation-such as the
construction of 10000 or AZ, 900 ton battle
ships carrying 16 or lS inch guns-were
discussed is natural But the Chief of
the War Plans Division undoubtedly dis
cussed other more pressing SUBJECTS De-
spite the fact that in Washington the right
hand does not always know what the left
is doing, the State Department must have
been fully informed of the scope and the
results of Capt. Ingersolls mission to the
capital Of the British Empire.
Admittedly Significant.
The visit Of the American naval officer
to London must not be overemphasized,
yet it Is sufficiently significant, taking ali
other factors into consideration, to indi-
cate that the lone wolf might under certain
circumstances tie up, at least for q while,
with the pack
These explorations in the foreign field
which the new naval appropriation bill has
enabled the Congress to make have bewil-
dered and unnerved the representatives Of
the Nation. They cannot quite understand
that dinlounarv is like nOliticS-t ie pot