Evening star., 1939-04-16
A Practical Peace Move

~ I0Sll~Ob ! COSS NhOVS
If Chancellor Hitler and Premier
Mussolini are men of peace-if Ger
many and Italy are content to gain
their political, economic or territorial
ends without resort to war-the
President of the United States points
the way by which they can terminate
the period Of fear and tension which
has gripped the world for more than
year in consequence of aggressions
by the Berlin-Rome axis.
In his dramatic demand for the
laying of totalitarian cards on the
international table, the President
specifies that the desired guarantees
for peace must not apply only to
the present day." but Ito a future
suft1ciently long to give every oppor-
tunity to work by peaceful methods
for a more permanent peace" Mr..
Roosevelt goes even further in his
bold appeal to the masters OF the
axis. He proposes that the word
future" shall apply to "a minimum
period OF non-aggression-te years
at the least-a quarter of a century
If we dare look that far ahead"
The President, we may be sure, did
not resort to this unconventional
approach to the international crisis
without deep conviction that the
sands OF ordinary methods for pre-
vention OF war are fast running out.
He has decided therefore to attack
the peril to peace frontally. He re-
minds Hitler and Mussolini that they
have repeatedly asserted" that they
and their people have no desire for
war;" and that, "if this is true, there
need be no war; Thus, without
qualification, the spokesman OF the
people and Government of the United
States points to the Fascist rulers
and nations as the direct, sole threat
to world tranquility. In their hands
alone. MIR. Roosevelt charges, rests
the decision between peace and war.
AS there is absence of circumlocution
In the indictment, no room is left
TOR equivocation in the reply.
The President chooses this period
OF apparently "momentary relaxa-
ton from "the acute tension of the
past few weeks" as the "opportune
moment" to address the dictators-
because no troops are at this
moment on the march" No Fascist
or Nazi legions have moved since the
seizure OF Albania ten days ago.
That they have been halted in their
tracks in Southeastern and Central
Europe is less the consequence of
any sudden dictates of self-restraint
In Rome or Berlin than of the his
torlc action Initiated by Great
Britain to confront the aggressor
powers with combination of pre-
ponderant force that will be used to
resist further violation OF frontiers
and to crush those who venture it,
The unmistakable intimation given
by President Roosevelt that the anti
aggression coalition commands the
sympathetic support OF the United
States cannot fail to have been one
OF the reasons why mo troops are
at this moment on the march" in
Europe.
1nstinctively, as Americans rejoice
In their Presidents constructive
move for peace-as The Star believes
the Nation, in its overwhelming
majority, does rejoice-the question
will arise whether the assurances of
non aggression which Mr.. Roosevelt
seeks from Hitler and Mussolini
would be worth anything, even il
given. Prime Minister Chamberlain,
after the final Acknowledgement of
Czecho-Slovakia last month, recited
to Parliament the long series of
broken Hitler promises which were
the aftermath of Munich, breaches,
he confessed, which had smashed all
his dreams OF "appeasement." Only
seventy-two hours ago, from the
same place in the House of Commons,
the Prime Minister admitted that
Mussolini's seizure of Albania had
nullifled the Anglo Italian pact, by
violently altering the status quo in
the Mediterranean, and acknowl-
edged that 1taly's pact pledge to
withdraw her volunteers" from
Spain after the end of the Spanish
war has also been ignored.
The President does not ask the
axis powers to abandon aggressive
purposes without holding out to
them quid pro quo. Following
reciprocal assurances" Mr.. Roose-
velt proposes efforts, in which the
United States will gladly take part, "
looking to reduction of ornaments
and readjustment of world economic
conditions on terms fair and equal
to all nations. But Mr.. Roosevelt
insists that before the people OF the
earth enter the forum of peaceful
discussion Of these issues, all con-
cerned "must leave their arms out
side the room where they confer.
That is another way Of telling Hitler
q