Evening star., 1939-10-12
Mr.. Hoover's PIon

Mr.. Hoover's PIun
Herbert Hoover, a seasoned observ-
er Of the international scene, q keen
analyst Of what he is pleased to call
European power politics." and a
sincere advocate of peace, has come
forward with qualified Endorsement
Of the administration-sponsored pro-
gram for keeping America out of the
present war. Mr.. Hoover is willing to
60 along with the Roosevelt Hull
program insofar as the take title
here" and carry it yourself" pro-
visions are concerned, with some
Tightening of the provisions as to
cash and the danger zones: he sees
no objection to lifting the embargo
on such weapons of aerial defense as
pursuit planes, anti-aircraft guns
and ammunition for such weapons,
but he would like to see the embargo
retained on bombing planes, bombs,
poison gas and submarines. Mr..
Hoover said he recoils at the thought
that planes and bombs of American
manufacture might be used to kill
helpless civilians on either side. He
believes, however, that it would be
entirely proper for the United States
to provide weapons of purely de-
fensive type for the protection of
men, women and children against
the horrors of unrestricted warfare.
Mr.. Hoover's statement definitely
removes him from the isolationist
side of the neutrality fence and
places him on the administration side
with reservations. The reserva-
tions are understandable in one who
has seen the suffering caused by war
and who loathes the bestiality and
immortality of it. His compromise
embargo plan is interesting, but it is
the belief of The Star that Mr..
Hoover has drawn an illogical dis
tinction between weapons of defense
and weapons of attack. If the former
Presidents line of reasoning were
applied to another field of national
security, policemen defending our
homes from armed criminals or mad
men would be permitted to wear
bulletproof vests and to resist actual
assaults, but they would not be per-
mitted to arm themselves with
weapons equal to those of the gang
sters and to fare forth to seek out and
destroy the gangs hideouts. Mr..
Hoover appears to assume that
bombing planes and bombs are made
primarily to raid cities and towns It
is true that these formidable imple-
ments OF war have been used all too
often for such inhuman purposes,
but to outlaw them as instruments of
war would be as senseless as depriv-
ing police force of it's revolvers for
fear that the guns will be turned
against innocent citizens instead of
underworld killers. The bombing
plane is designed to destroy such
military objectives as munitions fac
tories, Notifications and battle fleets.
Surely it would be most unfair to de-
prive one side of this vital means of
attack because the other side misuses
it. And If the other side uses the
bombing plane for improper purposes
might 1t not also use the Hoover
approved pursuit planes for machine
cunning of civilians?
The Star does not believe it is feas-
ible or sensible to attempt to distin-
guiSh between weapons of defense
and offense in connection with the
arms embargo. The only logical en-
barge is one that covers not only
guns, ammunition and implements of
war of every type, but the raw mate
rails which 60 into the manufacture
of these weapons. Such an all
inclusive embargo would, of course,
paralyze our7foreign trade and wreck
our national economy. Even the
most vociferous of the isolationists
has not dared to propose so sweep
ing ban on wartime trade. The
Pittman bill offers substitute plan
that is reasonably safe and econo-
mically sound. It would open our
markets to all belligerents who can
pay cash or arrange the ordinary
commercial credits, and it would keep
American ships and American citi-
zens from entering actual danger
zones OF war Such a program is fully
as moral as Mr.. Hoover's compromise
plan-and infinitely more practical.
The Fish Committee
In addition to raising grave nlles-