Evening star., 1939-09-27
Any U. 5. Embargo
Held Futile in Face
Of Propaganda
Writer Soys America Is
As Near Being Drawn
In as in 1916
By COL. FREDERICK PALMER.


In as in 1916
BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.
The United States may embargo
ships, supplies and travel, but one
1nescapable fact, to one whose World
War experience was not altogether
limited to four years on the western
front, is thai you cannot embargo
human emotion.
Those who remember back to
President Wilson'S castigation of the
'willful men" before our entry into
the World War know that a war
embargo is no new subject for us.
Then debates ragged to white heat
about arming our merchant ships
for passage through the submarine
danger zone or keeping them and
all our citizens at home.
There is only one embargo which
can be sure safeguard. Keep all
American ships and travel off all
the seas, build a Chinese wall
around us. Then we would be in
no danger Of entering a combat
zone.
And how are we to define a COM
bat zone? Isn't it where any sub
marine may appear, limited only
by its long steaming radius and
hidden fuel supply station? SUBJ
ject to one torpedo shot at an
American passenger or cargo ship
on the way to South America in
the Atlantic or Pacific?
A sure embargo to keep us out
Of war ought to isolate us like the
Esquimos. 1t might exclude any
knowledge Of how the war was 60
ing-until we had official word that
one side or the other had lost. 1t
should exclude all news from the
warning nations which might influ-
ence our thought and emotions.
As Near War as In 1916.
In this respect, we are already as
near being drawn into this European
war. not yet four weeks old, as we
were in 1916 to the one that began
in 1914. The only difference is our
war munition boom is not yet in full
swing. The psychological trend is
no less evident. and the more insid-
iously powerful when we are uncon-
scious of it as we keep on repeating
we must keep out.
"Oho. I've heard that before" I
thought as listened to talk over
the radio. The speaker, no more
anti-Hitler than I am assured US
that we had only to supply the Allies
with munitions, implying, Of course,
that we should have to do no fight
ing.
I did not forget that I had the
our War College archives: The
French general staff was not inter-
ested in our sending an American
army to France before the entry
in 1917. Col. Johannet, French pur-
chasing agent in the United States,
agreed with NJ Bloch, expert of the
French finance ministry in the
United States, that our financial and
economic aid was quite sufficient to
turn the scales for victory. COL
Fabry of the Joffre mission said
the Allies wanted only money. no
military aid.
And this out of the papers of Sec
retary of War Newton D. Baker and
others of our World War leaders to
which had access: At first, Marshal
Joffre and Gen. Bridges of the Brit
ish mission agreed we should not at
tempt to train, equip and transport
an army to France, since they be-
lieved it would arrive after the Al
lies had won. Before Joffre asked
for a few American soldiers to show
the flag lover there" Bridges saw
American troops as positive en-
barrassment in France.
Phrases Are Duplicated.
My recollection of a historians
aching eyes In reading more than
100000 official documents about the
causes of our entry and our part
after our entry singles out many
other phrases being uttered today
which duplicate those Of the winter
OF 1861.
When I was home from the west
ern front during that winter, the
voice of German propaganda, now
speaking in small. pleading voice,
dwelt on the starvation of German
babies for milk by the cruel and
ruthless British blockade. French
and British officers, who had been In
the trenches, scattered over the
country, were lions at any dinner
party or reception when we had no
troops of our own at the front. They
had been carefully chosen in Lon
don and Paris and kept in indoctri-
mating touch with their Washington
Embassies. They did not press
Theirs was the art that conceals art
int their appeal to our SUSCEPTIBLE
ties.
Without apparently advocating it,
tlIeir object was to bring us into
the war. Why not? VINO in their
place would have done otherwise?
Wouldn't We CATER, cajole and be
aGfeeably shifty in all things to all
men under such moral pressure as
their nations and all they held dear
we're in their extremity?
Occasionally they would observe
alta pat moment in conversation, If
the Germans get us, it may be your
turn next"
We have no such delightful guests
as yet. But, if and when they do
come, they need not speak that piece.
WE are already speaking it for them
in. our IF Hitler gets the Allies 1t
w1l be our turn next"
Propaganda Excellent.
The allies propaganda in Amer
ica has been excellent in this war so
far. They had their World War
training to start with, and democra-
cies know how to speak the Ian
guage of democracies. They have
been exceedingly modest, apparently
willing to let us conclude they were
not making any brilliant progress in
this war so far not to mention Mr.