Evening star., 1939-08-31

to what the United States proposed
to do or not to do with respect to
neutrality legislation was short Lived.
His interest ended the moment that
Congress definitely shelved the prob
lem until the next session. His curl
osity had been satisfied BY it's mac
ton Congress in effect had served
notice on him that he could depend
on the United States to cooperate
with him when the zero hour comes
to cooperate by cutting the lifeline
OF military supplies on which Britain
and France have largely depended in
their united efforts to meet threat
ened aggression. Hence Hitler could
safely turn his back on the United
States and proceed confidently on his
march toward further conquests.
If such has been his line of
thought, he has overlooked certain
other important factors, a failure
doubtless due to his unfamiliarity
with or inability to comprehend
the governmental processes of DEM
ocratic state. He may find it difficult
to believe, for example, that the "di-
vided counsels" were not of far
reaching extent-not those of Ma
tion divided against itself, nor of
major branches of government in
opposition to each other. Were he
fully advised of the circumstances
leading up to congressional decision
to defer action on the neutrality
question, he would know that actual
and threatened parliamentary ma
neuvers by the Senates "isolationist
bloc" were responsible for the failure
OF the administration to press its
fight vigorously earlier in the ses-
sion. And he would know that back
OF President Roosevelt stands a
preponderance of public opinion in
stanch support of Secretary Hulls
realistic program for neutrality and
peace. He would know, too, that
recent developments in Europe have
served to solidify and to intensity
the determination of the American
people to repudiate the head-in-the-
sand attitude of the well-meaning
but misguided isolationists and to
face the facts of international life
with forthrightness and common
sense.
That this tide of public opinion
Will sweep the arms embargo provi-
sion from the books as soon as Con-
gress meets again is virtually certain.
II war should come before January,
this action would have to be taken
IN special session-and coming after
the outbreak of hostilities, Congress
would find itself once more the object
OF special attention from Nazi head
quarters in the form of charges that
America was being unneutral. The
charges would have some merit, for
Notwithstanding opinions of the iso-
latlonlsts-it is almost impossible for
the United States, after the fight is
on, to alter it's foreign relations in
any respect without favoring one side
ana dlsadvantaging another. Thus.
lsolatlonlsm we'll might bring down
upon America the wrath of a des-
perate belligerent-and eventually
oraW us into war we might other
wise nave escaped. What has hap-
pened in Europe since the adjourn
ment OF Congress confirms the dire
predictions of Mr.. Roosevelt and Sec
retary Hull and magnifies the follv of
lsolatlonlsm as national policy. If
America really wants to keep out of
other peoples wars, we cannot afford
10 shut our eyes for one minute to
any phase OF the struggles now going
on IN the world between the totalita-
ran aggressors and their democratic
victims. Self-interest and self-preser-
Vatlon should dictate policy of
practlcal neutrality-like that of the
Hull program-a policy that would
lend no encouragement to interna-
tlonal mlfhief-makers and that.
while preserving technical neu-
trallty, would have the happy effect
OF oenef1tlng those who, like us, are
seeking earnestly to keep the peace.
once democracy's front line of de-
tense Is pushed into the Atlantic
ocean, 1t may be too late to open our
eyes and unshackle our hands and
defend ourselves from a foe that has
little regard for the phantom fences
of isolationism.