Evening star., 1939-01-05
u. 5. Lead in Fight
Against Dittators
Is Taking Shape
Resistance Is Modified
After Roosevelt
Message

NiCSSOSS
American leadership in a policy
OF democratic resistance to world
totalitarianism seemed shaping up
today in the wake of President
Roosevelt's opening message to the
18th Congress.
Such resistance. it was indicated
not only in the Presidents speech,
but in subsequent comment from
influential sources. will be positive
rather than negative in nature, in
effect a war of attrition in which
the moral. financial and CONNER
cial" resources of the democracies
may be pitted directly against those
Of the dictator states.
Pittman Comment Revealing.
Most revealing of the developing
outlines of such policy, beyond the
plainly-worded keynote of the Presi-
dent himself, was the comment of
Chairman Pittman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.
1.-THE President made it clear" the
Nevadan remarked carefully after
delivery of the message, that we
had the right and it was our duty
to refrain from aiding these con-
quering dictators and that it was
equally our duty, in every way ex-
cept by use of armed forces, to aid
the democracies in their fight
against these dictators"
Then tersely refuting the thought
that such aid must be war of bull
lets, the Senator added:
"Why shoot man when you can
starve him to death?"
In addition to the intense Specu-
lation aroused by the implications
of the Presidents message, there was
immediate legislative reaction on
several fronts.
In the Senate, two camps began
to take form over the issue of
amending the Mentality Act to give
greater discretionary powers to the
Executive in times of foreign con-
f1ict.
Senator Clark, Democrat, of Mis-
souri,, supporter of the neutrality
law as it stands, introduced refer
endum resolution which would re-
quire popular vote before war might
be declared, except in case of in
vasion of North America. A similar
resolution was defeated by the ad-
,ninistration last session in the
House.
In the House, a $5O,34O,993 def
cheney appropriation bill, containing
a $36,5000O0 naval construction
item, appeared for early considera-
ton.
At the same time, Chairman May
Of the House Military Affairs Com
rnittee announced he would lead a
drive for new Army air bases and
for a $4,000, 900 program to put the
munitions industry in standby"
readiness.
Representative Mas. Republican,
OF Minnesota, senior minority men,
her of the House Naval Affairs Com
mittee, reintroduced a bill to create
general staff for the Navy and
suggested appointment of joint
Senate-House committee to review
the Nations entire defense policy.
Peace GrOupS Crlt1CdL
And, by contrast, the whole en-
phasis on preparations for interna-
ttonal disapproval and possible war
was condemned in a joint statement
released by seven national peace
organizations.
Terming the Presidents message
"a heavy disappointment" the state
ment asked wherein it gave any
indication "of a sense of the re-
sponsibility of this country to re-
establish calm and reason in world
affairs"
Those joining In this critical re-
action were the National Council
for Prevention of War, the Womens
International League for Peace and
Freedom, World PeaceWays, the
Fellowship of Reconciliation, the
Keep America Out of War Congress,
the Youth Committee Against War
and the Labor Anti-War Council.
Neutrality Fight in Senate.
Development of the probable Sem
ate fight over the Neutrality Act
velt's assertion that when we de-
liberately try to legislate neutrality,
our neutrality laws may operate un-
evenly and unfairly-may actually
give aid to an aggressor and deny it
to the victim. The instinct of self
preservation should warn us that we
ought not to let that happen any
more"
Senator Pittman said he did not
interpret this passage to mean that
the administration would ask Con-
gress to give the President power to
name aggreSsor nations and place
economic sanctions against them. He
regarded 1t as an intimation that
Congress might consider new laws
Ito enable our Government to use
more than words to support our
rights with the economic and finan-
cial power of our Government"
Urges Raw Material Study.
Specifically, Senator Pittman sug-
gested a study of the question of re-
strlctlng expectation of raw mate
rails which can be converted to war
uses. There now is no provision for
an embargo on such materials.
Senator Nye, Republican, of North
Dakota while opposing repeal of the
neutrality law, said he would favor
amendments to the cash and carry"
sections as well as complete repeal
OF the Spanish Embargo Act.
by the embargo, Congress merely
tied the hands of one partv while
Che other Spanish faction had ready
access to supplies and aid from Ger
many and Italy," Senator Nye said.
Any attempt to let the President
plck the aggressor in an irterna-
tional dispute would be dangerous"
ne added. Il don't think the people
or the Congress would want it,"