Evening star., 1938-12-11

and the people no alternative ex-
cept to follow into conflict.
This intimateS no criticism Of
presidential purposes or objectives.
1t implies no lack of confidence. 1t
simply recognizes the hard, cold fact
that every journey to forbidden
land begins with the first STEP, and
so far as I am concerned, the first
step toward American participation
in other peoples wars is matter of
such fundamental Importance to
the whole American people that such
decision should never rest solely
and exclusively in the hands of any
one American, no matter how nobly
meditated his objectives may be.
1T is a decision Of such portent
that the Congress as a whole. speak
ing intimately for its diversified and
far-flung constituencies, must cast
the die.
Favors Rigid Neutrality.
Il continue to believe in rigid
American neutrality as the proper
standard American practice. II we
are not going to be neutral, if we are
going to name 'aggressors' and apply
sanctions to them. it should be done
deliberately and with the full con-
sciousness that it is tantamount to
an alliance with one of the two alien
| belligerents.
Il do not foreclose the possibility
that the United States may, upon
occasion, find it necessary, perhaps
unavoldably, to align itself as a par
tlsan in other peoples wars. SIM
ply assert the doctrine that we
should not slip or slide unwittingly
into such an ultimate hazard. In
other words, If We are going to cease
to be neutral, If we are going to
take sides in other peoples wars.
let 1t be deliberate and conscious
act which is taken by the whole Gov
ernment in full contemplation of its
possible consequences and with q
Willingness to take the last step,' if
necessary, as we'll as the first step.
so lar as 1t Is humanity possible.
and still thanking God for two great
oceans which still give us a great
degree OF insulation, I continue to
believe that the sound primary
American policy is to mind our own
business and keep out of other peo-
pies wars
Sees Opposition to Change.
Senator Vandenberg said last
night that If the President and
the State Department should re-
quest change in the Neutrality
Act which would empower the Presi-
dent to discriminate against an
aggressor nation-and thereby name
an aggressor-90 per cent of the
American people would be opposed
TO the proposal. They would soon
make themselves heard, he insisted.
Furthermore, il any such request
were made, 1t will Immediately
communicate itself" to the arma-
ment proposals of the administra-
ton. The people would then come
to believe that the ornaments were
for the purpose Of Furnishing "ag-
gressor nations" in "other peoples
wars" he said.
The Michigan Senator said that
apparently the administration was
coming down to earth" in its ideas
about further appropriations for
additional armaments-andt that 1t
now looked as though appropria-
tions Of less than half billion
dollars would be asked, instead of
a great pump printing appropria-
ton of perhaps two billion.
An appropriation of two or three
hundred million dollars additional
to improve national defense, he
said, probably could be put through
without great neutrality-suspicious.
larly for improvement in the air
defense. But any larger appro-
priations would be seriously op-
posed in Congress.
Nye Scouts Challenge.
Senator Nye, Republican, OF
North Dakota, who sponsored the
Neutrality Act, said: Il want all ade-
quate defense. a program that would
help to defend South America from
foreign attack. But there isn't any
challenge that begins to warrant the
madness in some of the present-day
preparedness talk.
Listening to some of this talk, one
would guess the Japanese were just
of our Pacific shores, and Hitler
and Mussolini, with all their troubles
at home mended, were just off our
Atlantic coast, ready to attack us
without moments notice. haven't
any sympathy at all with the naval
end Of the program. There is some
reason for an increase in air de-
fense"
Senator Nye said that to amend
the Neutrality Act so as to permit
the President to pick an aggressor
nation, in foreign war, would be to
abandon neutrality altogether.
1T would be-" he said, "a power to
precipitate the Nation into war, and
to place the Nation in q war auto
mattcally."