Evening star., 1939-10-04

q ~ ASSoVS3O
Charles G. Ross. impugned the
motives Of the other; neither de-
scended to personalities or appealed
in any way to partisanship. Each
Of them manifestly thought that
the other was utterly mistaken
for in each address was the ring
Of sincerity-but neither for mo-
ment questioned that the other was
speaking as a peace-loving Ameri-
can citizen, eager to find the best
way to keep the United States out
of war.
Pittman's speech was clear-headed
and dispassionate an excellent
summing up of the case for en-
barge repeal. Borah's was not only
a splendid statement of the oppos-
ing view; it was an oratorical mas
terpiece. Together the speeches
form an admirable textbook on the
issue before the Senate.
Numerous other good speeches
will be made on both sides before
the issue is settled, but 1t is doubt
full whether they can add materially
to the arguments pro and con; they
can only point up the arguments
and possibly-this is the hope Of
the Borah group with respect to its
own efforts-create an anti-repeal
sentiment in the country that will
overturn the present clear majority
for repeal.
Appears Forlorn Hope.
This looks today like a forlorn
hope, but it is one that buoys up the
isolationists as they begin fight
which Senator La Toilette, one Of
their number, has said will be from
nell to breakfast" against repeal. The
Borah speech, they declared, cut into
the list of the doubtful" Senators,
and they professed the belief that
it would bring wave Of support
from the country. Leaders of the
administration forces expressed con-
fldence they would hold their ranks
against any amount Of speech-mak-
ing and in the end show a two
to-one majority for repeal.
It will bear repetition that the
speeches both of Senator Borah and
of the Senator whose name is at
tached to the pending neutrality
bill were distinguished by their COM
plete freedom from name-calling
and the imputation of low motives
to those in disagreement with the
speaker.
There's lesson here for the coun-
try.
It does not follow that because
Senator Borah and the others OF
his school of thought want the arms
embargo kept intact, they want
thereby to give aid to Nazi Germany.
It does not follow that because q
citizen with Germanic name makes
speech or writes to his Congress-
man against repeal, he Is revealing
sympathy for the Nazi regime. To
the contrary, there is every reason to
believe-from letters of the spont-
aneous type which have come to
Congressmen-thata all but a hand
full of the people of Germanic des-
cent in this country, whatever their
views on repeal, are thinking first
in terms of their American citizen
ship. The prime desire of this group,
as OF virtually all groups today,
is to keep the United States out Of
war.
Entitled to Fairness.
If this and the other groups who
line up with the Borahs and the
Vandenbergs of the Senate are mis-.
taken as to the best means of keep
ing the United States out of war
as this writer believes they are mis-
taken-they are entitled nevertheless
to the assumption, except in the
case of the ineffable Fritz Kuhns
and others of that ilk, that they are
acting patriotically and with no de-
sire to aid Hitler.
No other assumption was voiced
in the vigorous but minded
speech Of Senator Pittman.
Equally, it does not follow that
those who favor repeal of the en-
barge are thereby trying to take
the United States into the war as
an ally Of France and England.
There is just as full sincerity on this
side, when it says that repeal is the
better way Of safeguarding the peace
Of the United States, as there is on
the other side. Those who want re-
peal are no more war party than
those who oppose repeal are Hit
lerites.
There is no need here to 60 into
the arguments for and against re-
peal. They have been fully set out.
For weeks to come they will be
poured out, from the halls of Con-
gress. All that is suggested is that
the cause Of American unity, at a
time when unity is profoundly to
be desired, will be well served If
the debate which is properly going
on throughout the country, In print
and by word of mouth, is conducted
on the level Of the two high-class
speeches that opened the Senate
debate.