Evening star., 1938-03-16

But where is the Austrian govern
ment' and how can it do any noti-
flying? The vanquished chancellor
who made his farewell speech to the
world and then surrendered to force
was the last veStige of the Austrian
government. Those who took over the
reins complied with the so-called con-
stitutional forms, but this is not a bit
different from situations that have
arisen in Latin American countries
when duly elected president has been
forced at the point of pistol to resign
IN favor of military chieftain who
then Officially" became president
U. S. Policy Changed in 1913.
The policy of the Government of
the United States underwent in 1918
change in respect to the formal recog-
milton of governments that owed their
origin to physical force. President
Wilson refused to recognize Victoriano
Huerta, who murdered President
Francisco Madero The doctrine of
refusing to recognize governments
arising out of acts of violence was
confirmed by the Harding administra-
ton, when Charles Evans Hughes was
Secretary of State
Today the Roosevelt administration
has not yet recognized the conquest of
Ethiopia by Italy. Neither Britain nor
France has done so either.
1t will be recalled the Henry L.
Stimson, Secretary of State under the
Hoover administration, insisted that
the powers of Europe refuse to rec
ognize Manchukuo as an independent
state when Japan wrested that ter
rltory from China. So, all in all,
Republican as well as Democratic ad-
ministrations here have for Is years
maintained the doctrine that the
United States Government does not
recognize governments OF illegal origin
even though the forms of legality are
followed
To put 1t another way. the United
States expresses its moral censure as
Q democratic Nation of the use of
violence in change in the personnel
OF government or in the actual en-
nexation of territory by force. Presi-
dent Roosevelt, for reasons doubtless
Of diplomatic delicacy, did not want
to say anything formally about the
action Of Chancellor Hitler. but the
occasion Of the signing of the Czecho-
slovakian treaty offered a polite ex-
cuse for letting the newspaper men
reveal the American Governments
displeasure.
Method Indirect and Feeble.
The method is somewhat indirect
and feeble, to be sure, but the nope
is that the world of diplomacy will
read between the lines and perceive
Americas dissatisfaction with what
has just happened. Under the policy
of strict isolation, which so many
members Of Congress believe in nova
days. Mr.. Roosevelt may feel he has
to be very careful not to seem even
to be commenting on events in Eu-
rope. This would be caution reduced
to absurdity.
There is no denying that the trend
of affairs in Europe has nevertheless
made profound impression here in
Government circles, and maybe lit
tie later on something more than
technically may furnish the occasion
for more specific denunciation of
what has occurred. Perhaps Secre-
tary Hulls speech on Thursday will
go bit further in expressing the
horror with which the civilized world, |
and particularly the democracies' view
what is happening in Vienna
Certainly if ever there was q time
for moral force to be exhibited and |
for the moral power of the United
States to be used in crystallizing world |
opinion against aggressor nations it |
is today America need not 90 to
war In order to speak her indigna-
ton. To remain silent is to lead
Chancellor Hitler to believe that fur
ther barbarisms will be acquiesced in
by all democracies, including the
United States
Wilson Would Have Protested.
If Woodrow Wilson were alive to-
day he would not hesitate to broad
cast to the whole world the sense of
outrage which liberty-loving citizens
IN all parts of the earth's surface
feel today that dictator can be so
brazen as to snatch away the lnde-
pendence Of weaker country. Vol
untary annexation is often determined
by a plebiscite Of the people. But in
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