Evening star., 1938-11-27

PreSent-day diplomacy Is queer buSi-
ness. Wars are waged under the guise
of punitive expeditions and diplomatic
relations are broken off under the ex-
cuse of personal reports. The pretexts
son from Berlin and the contemplated
recall of Ambassador Joseph Grew from
Toxic are f1imsy. In recent years, espe-
cially since Mr.. Roosevelt took over
the helm of Americas ship Of state,
the trans oceanic telephones have been
used with extreme liberality. Important
communications between this Govern
ment and its Ambassadors abroad and
momentous conversations with foreign
heads of state have been transacted by
phone. If you add to this the cable and
the wireless, which enable representa-
tives to report in full detail within a
few hours on every imaginable subject,
the excuse of these personal reports"
is Intentionally bad camouflage of
suspension of diplomatic relations.
There has been increasingly bad feel
ing between the American and the Ger
man governments since the Munich
agreement. Berlin believes that the
wave of anti-Germanism in the United
States should be ascribed not to perse-
cution of Jews or Catholics, but to the
White House and State Department.
The Germans maintain that while the
administration in Washington has no
direct means of controlling the press,
in international affairs most newspaper
writer's take their cue from the White
House and the State Department and
If these two authorities desire cer-
tain reaction to be created in this coun-
try they slip inspired news to the
reporters.
Interests Clash With U. S.
The inspired news" of the State De-
partment. however, is merely transcript
tions of reports to Washington regard
ing the Reich's activities in the four
corners of the world. These activities
reveal Enthusiastically the Reich's desire
to expand its influence to those coun-
tries in which the United States has
particular interest. We want the ideas
of the democratic form of government
to thrive in Latin America, and we want
also to increase our volume of business
with that continent. This should seem
logical to Berlin. Germany is now con-
quering the whole of Europe east Of
the Rhine. It endeavors to instill the
totalitarian idea in those states and to
establish German trade monopoly
there.
Japan is doing the same thing In
China. It has served notice on the
Western World that it will promulgate
aggressively Pan-Asiatic ideas among the
peoples of Asia and that all commercial
transactions between the white and yell
low men must pass through Toxic.
This country has not interfered with
Germany's expansionist policy in Eu-
rope and has no means at its disposal
to check Japan's ambitions. Hence,
Washington cannot see the logic Of Ger
many's and Japan's endeavor to jeopar-
die our position in the south by means
other than outright commercial COM
petition.
Administration Dislikes Pact.
There is no doubt that the administra-
ton was not pleased with the Munich
agreement. Mr.. Roosevelt did not ex-
pect a directorate led by Hitler to be
established in Europe.
He advised the powers to settle the
political problem which Czechoslovakia
presented, and on the basis Of the settle
ment he hoped that a limitation OF
ornaments and solution of the inter-
national economic problem would be
possible. He was sadly disappointed
when, only three days after the signing
Of the Munich pact, all the signatories
announced plans for bigger and better
armies and no possibility Of approaching