Evening star., 1938-02-13
Demands for Specifications
Spur Showdown on Peace Path
Effective Influence by u. S. Government Abroad
Hampered by Peoples Unwillingness to
Accept Roosevelt Hull Views.

ooh pleoge OF support against the Ludlow
war referendum plan when he said that
we owe some measure Of cooperation and
even leadership in maintaining standards
OF conduct helpful to the ultimate goal of
general peace"
Secretary Hull's philosophy is equally
opposed to isolationism. That he believe,
the United States should become an active
co-operator in the hunt for world peace is
evident from his public announcements.
Mr. Hull supplemented his July Is state
ment Of principles with a press statement
August %, saying:
The issues and problems which are of
concern to this Government in the present
situation in the Pacific area 20 far beyond
merely the immediate question of protec-
tion Of the nationals and interests Of the
United States" SO
1T the American >Government) does be-
lieve in international cooperation for the
purpose of seeking through pacific methods
the achievement Of those objectives set
forth in the statement Of July 16"
The remuneration of isolationist deology
was made clearer in his broadcast on world
peace September 10. 1897, when he de-
clared:
I'VE must make our contribution toward
the realization of the conditions upon
which peace everywhere can be maintained,
or ultimately We shall have to sustain and
protect ourselves amidst an outside world
ridden by war and force"
At Toronto a month later he added:
Theoretically. nation can isolate itself
from the rest Of the world, But just as in
the case of the individual who would lead
hermit existence and of a family or a
community which attempts to segregate
itself, an inexorable price must be paid
sss'
In other words. let us not be too ready to
pay any price for peace through isolation
Deeds Of Administration.
What now are the deeds of the Roosevelt
administration which spotlight 30 clearly
the inconsistencies of American foreign
policy?
In short, an actual lack Of effective CO.
operation with other powers, whose inter-
ests lie In preserving the integrity Of China,
to halt its penetration by Japan.
There has been no end Of cooperation
between the United States, Great Britain
and France, which are the principal
Western powers interested in thvartins the
purposes of Japan, but it has succeeded
only in minor matters.
Consultation also has been frequent and
extensive.
In the absence of the ability to throw the
potential power of the United States into
the balance in favor of orderly processes"
in China, the administration has had resort
only to diplomatic action to implement its
words
The protests and representations from
the United States Government to Toxic
since the outbreak of the fighting in Shang-
hal have covered a wide range, including
the following topics:
The bombardment of Shanghai, the
bombing of Nanking both before and after
its occurrence, the projected seizure of the
Chinese customs, the sinking Of the Panay
and Standard Oil Co. tankers renewed
looting of Marking and the slappiEg Of an
American diplomat by japanese sentry.
Interests Being Curtailed.
Repeated appeals to Americans to evacu-
ate zones of danger in China, the warning
against American merchant vessels travers-
ing Chinese waters and the warning that
privately owned American ships engaged
in the arms traffic to China and Japan at
their own risk were responses to the de-
mand for curtailment of American inter-
ests in the Far East. The recent withdraw
ais Of troops from Shanghai and Tientsin
are the latest manifestations of this pur-
pose.
League condemnation of Japanese bomb
ings of Chinese civilians and American
denunciation Of Japan as violator Of the
nine power pact, while receiving hearty
approval as humanitarian acts never
theless stirred apprehensions that the
United States was launching upon an ag-
gressive policy leading to sanctions.
If as Senator Johnson complained in the
Senate the United States was in the
pusillanlmous position OF having threat
ened foreign power and not carried
through. it has been due chiefly to this
incompatibility between what the leaders
Of American foreign policy would like to
do and what the American public will
permit them to do
All that can be said of American foreign
policy as whole including both the aspira-
tions Of administration leaders and the
aims of the American public, is President
Roosevelt's conclusion of his Chicago
speech:
America hates war. America hopes for
peace. Therefore America actively engages
in the search for peace"
1t is this search for peace" which
disturbs those who prefer to believe that
peace Is to be had for the asking.
hn,on Woorr CLs-