Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-22
Beating the Devil

Government should make loans to
Finland to enable the little Scandi-
navian republic to purchase sorely
needed military supplies in the hour
OF her invasion by a powerful and
ruthless aggressor have revealed
a rather curious belief in some
quarters that we should help the
Firms, but that this assistance should
take the form of half-measures in
volving considerable element of
self-deception. This attitude is most
clearly reflected in the contention
that it is quite proper for the United
States to make loans to Finland at
this time, provided that none of the
money so advanced is to be used by
the hard-pressed Firms to purchase
military equipment.
This reservation on the part of
some members of Congress is in line
with the policy of this Government
in its most recent extension of for
eign credits, but, in The Stars opin-
ion, this policy becomes indefensible
when applied to Finland's case. Nor
is it in any sense our historic policy,
under which for generations we have
asserted our right as a neutral to
sell arms to belligerents at our own
discretion.
At the outset, we must recognize
that Finland is fighting for her very
life. Her great need now is for the
instruments of self-preservation, for
warplanes and other mechanical
equipment without which her val
liant but small army faces almost
certain defeat at the hands of the
heavily mechanical invading Rus
slams. Loans for non-military pur-
poses are helpful as far as they go,
but they will be of small avail to the
Firms If they should be conquered
by the Soviets. If it is our purpose to
extend effective aid to the victim Of
Russian aggression, 1t must be of
character that will best help Finland
maintain her independence. Re-
stricted American loans might insure
that the Firms will be we'll fed and
warmly clothed during the awful
struggle which has been forced upon
them, but their vanquishment on the
battlefield would nullify the basic
reason for making any kind of loan.
Added to these considerations is
the indisputable fact that the So
called restricted loans, in the final
analysis, will be used indirectly by
Finland to purchase military neces-
sites. AS we make funds available
to her for military purposes,
Finland will be able to use her own
funds, which otherwise would have
been needed for food, clothing, ETC.,
to buy war equipment. After we
have finished beating the devil
around the stump" our money still
will be helping the Firms acquire
military supplies. The restricted loan
device may enable some of our own
number to hoodwink themselves, but
its only practical effect will be dan
gerously to impede Finland's effort
to arm herself swiftly at time when
speed is of vital Importance. It
would be infinitely more in keeping
with the true American character If
we were to face the facts of this
situation frankly and extend to Fin
land the assistance she needs and
deserves without resort to subterfuge
or camouf1age of any kind.
It also has been commended that a
loan without any restrictions would
be poor risk and that the money
would be lost if Russia should win
the war. On this score, it is sufficient
to say that. in the event of Finland's
defeat, the risk of non-payment
would be fully as great in the case
of the restricted loans, and, if past
performance means anything, our
greatest chance of getting our money
back is to advance it in manner
best calculated to insure a Finnish
victory.
The remaining complaint-that
an unrestricted loan would be "un-
neutral'-is one that should be faced
squarely.
In this connection we should re-
member that there is no legal reason
why we should not lend money to
Finland to buy arms The bar to
such loan grows out of very recent
governmental policy which is based
on what might be called gentle
mems understanding" between the
lending agencies and Congress. But
since the adoption Of that policy our
eyes have been more fully opened to
the real character of the Soviet gov
eminent, and to the general folly OF
attempting to circumscribe our ma
tional foreign policies by inflexible
legislative fiat.
To say now that the people OF the
United States are or should be neu-
trail as between Finland and Russia