The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-21
The Facts Back Of All The T. ak
 About Foreign
 Naval Policies

out of pacifistic, isoIationist an- tlpathy toward any mOnkeying in Asiatic or European affairs that this education effort temporarily may be considered as the chief item of such foreign policy as we have.
 The campaign has been going on for months through solemn official warnings of peril, persistent semi official assurances that the Far Eastern situation is "tense," maxi mum ballyhoo for the Panay and lesser incidents, playing up of all naval movements and many other gestures designed for the effect of swaying public opinicn.
 Power Politics
 A navy is the most powerful arm of diplomacy and the American navy now is being used as exactly that. The State Department feels its duty is to play the old game of power politics. This means blufing Japan and other aggressively mili- taristic nations-or, as diplomats put it, "using the prestige and in- 1uence of the United States to stop international brigandage and prevent war"
 Also involved is strong desire to salvage" the British Empire, backed by the moral and emotion al bitterness of Roosevelt and Hull against bandit" dictator ships and their fear of 8 distant day when Japan, Germany and Italy might rule the international roost and become positive men, ace to the United States.
 Congress, presumably a focal point of American public opinion, doesn't know how our foreign policy would shape up if Roosevelt and Hull were given a free hand-and fears the worst.
 Just a Game
 Available signs indicate that Roosevelt and Hull, once released form the public opinion hobble, would become very noisy and yell louder than ever at the dictator ships, probably with naval flourish es. Whether this would have the desired effect of making Hitler, Mussolini and the Mikado behave themselves or whether it would be more likely to get the country into war is matter of speculation.
 Roosevelt doesn't think the
 country will get into war. But he
 isn't sure. As long as Congress
 and public opinion insist on a mere continental defense policy, he knows that Ambassadors Saito, Suvich and Dieckhoff will be cabling TOki0, Rome and Berlin that this governments position is nothing to worry about.
 The program for an $500, 100000 naval expansion policy-an annual 20 per cent increase in expendi- ture-iS part of the power politice game. It doesn't mean any new battleships within three or four years, SO it hardly can be designated | to meet any immediate crisis. The existing navy is more than adequate for protection of the Alaska Hawaii Panama Canal defense triangle and the Pacific coast. The navy isn't strong enough now to make stand anywhere west of Hawaii, and even | the proposed increase wouldn't come anywhere near enough to take any aggressive action in that dlrec- tion.
 "Mr. Smith" in London
 Naturally, Admiral Leahy was somewhat handicapped by these points in his testimony before a congressional committee. But there is reason to believe that the most significant although not generally Leahy contribution was the admirals at ortion that the country's Pacific naval line of defense now stretches out to Samoa, 2600 miles beyond Hawaii
 This seems to make sense only if you tie it up with Roosevelt's secret pet idea of a joint British of Japan. No agreement or under standing with England has been put on paper, but the navy has worked out plan-just to be kept handy for an emergency. mind you-by which the United States would put 15 capital ships and their auxiliar- ies on the Alaska -Hawaii-Samoa line to link up with six British cap ital shipG between Singapore and Borneo. Despite official denials that there is any plan to use the Amer ican fleet in conjunction with other forces, Capt Royal E. Ingersoll' chief of the Navy war plans divis- ion, is understood to have discussed the blockade idea in London, where he was known as MT. Smith"
 Trouble Soon
 The British anticipate possible trouble with Mussblini within three months. They want to know. first, whether Germany can be bought off or held off in that event, and second, whether the United States can be depended on to take a strong stand in the Far East. If the second question is to be answered negatively they will make the, best bargain they can with Japan.
 But if nothing serious happens in Europe within the next six or eight months, Washington has been given to understand England may be able to join this country in hard-boiled attitude toward Japan weakened by her Chinese efforts. Meanwhile, the worlds capitals are closely watching debate in Congress on the Navy and foreign affairs.
 CConvripht 1q38. NEA Service Inc