Evening star., 1939-03-18

significant unanimity has been sub
stituted.
The situation is not unlike that
which occurred in the United States
In 1915 when the Lusitania was sunk
with the loss of 1000 American lives.
One group insisted that Germany S
assurances against repetition could
not to be trusted and the other group
insisted that America should not
go to war unless German pledges
were broken.
During the interim, American
public opinion was solidified, espe-
cially after unrestricted German
submarine warfare made a scrap of
paper of all previous assurances.
Today the British Prime Minister
points to the promises given by Herr
Hitler in public speech that he
would guarantee the Czech state S
independence. He recalls the assur-
ances of no further territorial am
bltlons and also Hitler's promise to
consult with Great Britain and
France as to questions arising in
connection with the future of
Czecho-Slovakia. What is more the
British Prime Minister accuses the
German Fuehrer of fomenting the
uprising in Slovakia.
In the face of these events the
world now has clear record before
1t OF the sheer violation of pledges
and lawlessness by the head of the
German government. Small wonder
that the Government of the United
States took the bold course of
public denunciation of the action of
Hitler in dismembering Czecho-Slo-
Vakla and robbing that nation of
sovereign rights.
Statement Approved.
Although members of both the
Senate and House did not specify
what course the United States should
pursue, there was an almost un-
broken series of comments approv-
ing the declaration by the Depart
ment of State which, it was an
nounced, had been issued at the
direction of President Roosevelt.
So far as the Congress is con-
cerned, it knows that arbitrary pow
er has been let loose in the world
even more dangerous to world peace
than that of the Kaiser in 1914.
The argument for building up Amer
1ca'S armament has received an in
calculable stimulus, and it seems
certain that the so-called neutrality
legislation will be revised to give
the Executive a free hand in deal
ing with the export of supplies to
the democracies as against the to-
talitarian states.
The expression Of moral indigna-
ton which is coming from the capi-
tails OF the democratic countries may
be expected in various ways to per-
colate through to the German peo-
pie, who by now must know the
democracies finallyswill not counte-
nance the venturesome march of
conquest on which the Nazi party
has embarked
Policies May Crystalline.
Some day the policies of the de-
mocracies will have to crystalline to
the point of making it economically
attractive for the German people to
change their form of government,
or its personnel, to one which can be
trusted by other governments.
Meanwhile, the United States Gov
ernment, acting upon the desire of
the vast majority of the people to
remain aloof from any possible en-
tanglement, will undoubtedly exert
Its moral force and some economic
pressure to secure change in the
whole European situation.
There Is talk, for instance, of an
international conference to review
the whole territorial problem of
Europe, and especially colonial ques-
tions, the theory being that the Ger
man people will not long tolerate a
government which is faced with an
economic war of gradual exhaustion
when an opportunity may present
itself for new government in Ger
many to attain a position of eco
nomic partnership with the democ-
racies of the world. Practical steps
to appeal to the German people are
the only measure short of war which
are discussed here as feasible, for
France and Britain. NotWithstand-
ing the reaction of horror to the
events abroad, there is s.lll a feeling
that the democracies acting together
can bring about a change for the
better in Central Europe.