Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-17
Colonel Lindberqh's Talk

The statement by Colonel Charles
A. Lindbergh that we should never
enter a war unless it is absolutely es-
sential to the future welfare of our
Nation merits the unstinted approval
of every American who is DESTROYS of
serving the best interests of his
country. On that point there is and
can be no disagreement anywhere.
But if the United States is to stay
out of the present European conflict
1t Is of first Importance that those
whose duty it is to formulate our
foreign policy should take a realistic
view of the hazards with which our
country is faced. Nothing could be
more dangerous to our own peace and
safety than to assume blindly that
we cannot be touched by the struggle
in Europe. There is very real and
very grave danger that this country
may be drawn into the war, and our
best hope of avoiding that peril is to
acknowledge that it does, in fact,
exist, and to chart our course &C
cordingly.
The war, as Colonel Lindbergh said,
Is certain to devastate Europe and
may even lead to the end of our
Western civilization" In The Stars
opinion, the threat to civilization as
we know it arises primarily from the
danger that be may become involved
in the war and, secondarily, from the
possibility that the British and the
French may be defeated and the last
vestiges of democracy in Europe de-
stroyed. Our best hope of remaining
at peace is to foresee the conditions
which may lead us into the war and
to avoid them if it is possible to do so.
At the present time we are operat-
ing under an arms embargo which is
proving beneficial to the cause of
Nazi aggression. Any doubt as to
that should be dispelled by the ap-
plause with which the recent speech
of Senator Borah in opposition to
repeal of the embargo was received
in Berlin. The Roosevelt administra-
ton contends-and The Star believes
correctly so-that the best interests
of the United States will be served by
the elimination of the embargo.
While forbidding any shipments of
arms, ammunition and implements
of war, the present law does not for
bid the shipping of raw materials
which 60 into the making of arms,
ammunition and implements of war.
And under existing legislation, these
raw materials can be transported to
belligerents in our own vessels. If
some American ships so engaged are
sunk-and they will be-the danger
of our involvement directly in the
war will be intellectually increased.
That danger can be avoided by
repeal Of the embargo and substitu-
ton OF cash-and-carry plan, which
would enable the United States to
sell anything to any belligerent able
to pay cash and transport the pur-
chases in it's own vessels.
In this particular case, such a
change would mean withdrawing the
indirect support we are now giving
Germany and placing our material
resources at the disposal of the
British and French-the only Euro
pean belligerents who would be able
to buy in our markets under CASH
andcarry system. Thus, in addition
to protecting our own ships, a CASH
and-carry plan, which is in harmony
with our traditional policy up to
1887, would tend to strengthen France
and Britain. So long as France and
Britain remain undefeated there is
relatively little danger that we will
be drawn into the conflict The
threat to "our Western civilization"
lies in the chance that the war may
be won by Germany, and it is very
definitely to our advantage at this
time to do what we can, short of
going to war ourselves, to help the
democracies equip themselves with
the weapons essential to their
success.