Milford chronicle., 1939-02-17


From Local Welfare.
In theory, meetings of the Senate
military affairs committee are usu-
ally supposed to be strictly secret.
In practice, information about what
goes on at the cOnclaves usually
starts leaking out Immediately after
they are over. Senators are only hui
man--and, like anyone else with i'm
portant special knowledge in their
minds, they have a hard time keep
ing II to themselves.
The recent meeting between the
President and this committee at the
White House was supposed to he
even more secret than most. Even
the stenographers were excluded.
But, as usual, the leaks were much
in evidence. The next day an ac-
count was widely published to the
effect that the President had stated
in conversation that Americas from
tier was in France, and that this ex-
planned the u. S. governments will
ingness TO have the French buy big
quantities of war planes here. Still
another account stated that the
President had gone farther yet, and
said that our frontier was the Rhine
River.
Two days later the Chief Execu-
tive branded these reports as "a de-
liberate lie," and added that a move
was on foot, suppOrte by some Con-
gressmen and newspapers, to mis-
represent and discredit him. But
whatever the truth of the matter, the
episode served to unlOose veritable
torrent of oratory in the always
talkative Congress-and served as
well to bring into sharp focus the
fundamental differences that exist
over our foreign policy.
We are embarking on the largest
armament program in our peace
time history. And when a country
builds a war machine, it involves
far more than merely appropriating
the money, increasing the personnel
of our fighting forces, and placing
the orders with the arms and muni-
tions makers. 1t involves the gravest
question of policy. 1t involves our
lOh dlu ACAaNlOhD
with the other nations in the world.
And it thus very directly involves
every person in the country.
We have apparently reached the
time when our foreign policy must
be definitely fixed and established in
one way or anther. And this is go
ing to be no simple matter. For the
Congress seems to be bitterly divid-
ed over what our policy should be.
And it is not in any sense partisan
division-pOlitics plays little or no
part in it.
On the one hand are those who be-
lieve sincerely that in a sense we
are our bOrther's keeper-that, as
the only great democracy immune
from immediate attack by a power
full totalitarian state, il is up to us
TO throw the weight of our influence
and resources behind the menaced
iemocracoes. These men see the
world as a great battle-ground in
which an undeclared war without
quarter is taking place between fas-
cism and democracy. The cause Of
in Europe, they reason,
will soon be lost unless helped by
he New World democracy. And IL
hat happens, they argue, we will he
next in line for fascist aggression.
So, they conclude, the thing to do is
20 help the Old World democracies
staye off fascism before it is too
ate.
The other school believes with
Equal sincerity in rigorous isolation.
That means a policy of treating all
democratic or totalitarian,
With equal consideration. They feel
We must build up an adequate de-
ensive military machine, and keep
)ur resources for our own use. They
avOr Strengthening, not weakening,
,ur neutrality policy. 1t is not our
business, they argue, to pull any
fat out of the fire. And,
hey conclude, if we insist on aiding
he other democracies with moral
uasion and giyin gthem access to
'ur factories and resources, it will
mean that we will have
o aid them with our army and navy.
President Wilson's refusal to be
leutral, they think, and his obvious
'ias toward the allies, was respon-
ible for bringing us unnecessarily
nto the World War.
This illustrates the two major eX-
remes of thought. There are of
curse, many more moderate groups,
Which favor a modified neutrality
II a modified internationalism.
No one can answer now the ques-
ion of which side will win. MIR.
Roosevelt, it is believed, feels that
must be somewhat relax
d. On the other hand, there is a
trong and determined group in
congress, led by Senator Borah,
yhich is determined to resist to the
nd, any Administration effort to ac-
ively aid the European democracies.
t this writing, it looks like a stale
nate is in prospect over foreign
olicy.
The business picture is changing
ut little. Theanticipated down.
wing remains i'm evidence. and is
by serious losses in
ecurity values.
One good sign is sustained
trength in commodity prices. They
ave declined-but to nowhere near
he same extent as stock prices. And
here seems to be no danger Of big
reak in this field.
The inventory situation is also fa-
orable. The economists are resting
n their oars now confident that