Evening star., 1939-07-18
Discusses Futile Arguments
On Embargo Situation.

To the Editor OF The Star:
Mann for his article in The Star last
Monday, July 10. Legislation which may
be OF the greatest Importance to the
future of the whole world, namely, the
embargo provisions, is now being based
in considerable measure on monstrous
delusion. This Mr.. Mann points out, and
it is high time it was done. Unfortunate
ly he Jumps together two things, of widely
different Importance today. Hence Flea
nor H. Finch, in The Star for Friday.
july IA, is able to give plausible answer
to him which in reality makes no men,
ton whatever of the one thing which
is of chief importance.
The two chief accusations brought
against our leadership in 1917 are, first,
that We were ''roped in" in order to
secure the continuance of war profits.
(Some add, in order to secure our loans,
but Senator Nye repudiates this charge)
The second accusation is that our leaders
were pro-ally, which is undoubtedly true
of some of them, but this is not crime
Perhaps they were right. The question
is important, but not with reference to
embargo legislation. An embargo on
arms is not an embargo on propaganda
1t will not induce any one to approve
of Hitler, or to be indifferent to the fate
Of Great Britain. In short, it will not
affect in the least the sentiments on
which our entrance into war would de-
pend. Surely, any one who lets indigna-
ton at Mr.. Lansing's pro-British attitude
lead him to favor an embargo is sub
stituting emotion for thought.
There remains the first accusation,
that President Wilson and his advisers,
and the two houses of Congress, drew us
into war "for mere pay This belief is
the chief support for an embargo on arms.
Senator Nye is clear and decisive on this
point. According to him, the "craze for
profit" behind the scenes" was the mo.
cause of our entry, and "this acknoWl-
edged experience dictated the writing
of the Neutrality Act" This grand
reason for the act is fallacious for two
reasons. First, it is not true. Mr.. Mann
has given some evidence for such con-
clusion. wish to pvt Mr.. Nye himself
on the stand also. Mr.. Nye was the lead
er of a committee which worked hard to
obtain evidence as to why we went into
the war. If he has not got such evidence,
then probably no one has. In broad
cast on December 26, last, he stated his
argumentative case. He offers in evi-
dence ''the exchanges between Lansing,
Page, McAdoo, the President and others
at the helm" 1t is fair to conclude that
these men are his best witnesses. If the
others are stronger, he surely would have
named them also. The names sound
impressive-until we look at them. Mr..
Lansing was truly pro-British, but it was
from the very beginning of the war, be-
fore war profits were thought of. And
he was worried because Mr. Wilson did
not agree with him at all! Mr.. Page was
not swayed by financial considerations,
though he hoped that others might be.
But he had little influence with Mr.. Will
son. Mr. McAdoo's chief Exchanges" If
not the only ones, were written early in
the war, without the remotest thought
that they would have anything to do with
getting us in That did have much to
do with the subsequent war profits, but
that is not getting us in unless the war
profits got us in. which is the very thing
to be proved. Mr.. Nye thus summons a
witness whose testimony is valueless un-
less we first assume the conclusion. And
these tattsred shreds Hf futile argument