Evening star., 1938-04-27
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Occasion has just been taken in high
quarters to disavow circumstantial re-
ports current in the Washington diplo-
matte world about palace revolution in
the State Department. Stories to that
effect grew out of the two international
situations lately enerossing the attention
of the White House and the Hull baili-
Wlck-the embargo ON arms for Spain
and the Anglo-Italian accord. In the
Spanish business it was represented that
neither the President nor his Secretary
of State. irked by the hampering incon-
sistencies of the neutrality law, was
averse to American action designed to
bolster the tottering Loyalist cause. but
that they were Systematically stymied
by certain departmental underlings with
Fascist sympathies." AS to the Anglo
Italian deal. and Mr.. Roosevelt's sudden
and strange public approval of it last
week. the Capital buzzed with the tale
that F. D. R. had one put over him"
during Cordell Hulls absence by Under
secretary of State Welles. Welles was
said to have acted on a personal appeal
by his pal, Prime Minister Chamberlain,
conveyed through Ambassador Lindsay,
and that the Presidents thus was horn
swoggled into giving the devious Cham
berlain- -Mussolini bargain the priceless
accolade of American commendation.
Being duly sworn, as it were, author
lied spokesmen now depose and say that,
as far as the White House O. K. is con-
cerned, there's no shadow of friction
between Roosevelt and Hull The Secre-
nf a. ic f,,11v
taken into counsel before the executive
communlQue was sprung upon the
April 19 press conference and was in
unreserved agreement with it. At no
stage was there any divergence of view,
we are told, in the policy-forming steps
which led to bestoWal of the United
States blessing on trade which sancti-
fles the annexation Of Ethiopia and
italian armed Intervention in Spain.
Be all this as it may, 1t leaves I'M
changed the fact that since the Chicago
speech of October S American foreign
policy has pursued the same kind of
zig-zag course as our camouf1aged
transports followed in lodging German
submarines. In his recent fireside chat
President Roosevelt proclaimed the ad-
ministrations intention to sail, not
drift" in plotting the ship of state
through the seas of depression. AS those
trained observers of international trends,
the ambassadors and ministers stationed
in Washington, view it, drifting, not
sailing, is what Uncle Sam is doing in
foreign affairs no matter what sort of
seamanship Skipper Roosevelt is pur-
suing in domestic policy Many Ameri-
cans blame Neville Chamberlain for
selling out democracy by trading with
the relationships. Is Chamberlain any
more recreant than Roosevelt is in
saying to Mussolini: "Bei mir bist du
schoen." after espousing "quarantines"
of aggressors?
OF far more Importance to the country
than any advice Mr.. Roosevelt may
receive from Henry Ford today is
whether the President will follow the
advice-provided it's the sort of business
common sense with which the Detroiter
is associated in the American public
mind. It's an open secret that the White
House ignored the advice it got from
its two ranking business counselors-
R. F. c. Chairman Jones and Secretary
of the Treasury REORGANIZATION the
Misunderstanding proposal 1t was the
Hopkins dollar-rollers and the support
ing constellation of starry-eyed theorists,
statisticians and uplifters who prevailed
over the hard-shelled presidential aides
who insist pump printing Is unsound
Federal business. One OF the Nations
foremost f1nancier-i r-industrialsts, recently