Evening star., 1939-04-18

many influential
quarters and in David Lawrence.
many capitals, and it would not be
surprising if in the interim the Pope
at Rome were prevailed upon to
lend the great weight of his position
to the efforts initiated by the Presi-
dent of the United States.
If the Pope, while not necessarily
entering into the details of the
Presidents proposal, were to indorse
the spirit of Mr.. Roosevelt's under
taking and wish it well, such move
could not but have a profound in
fuence in Italy and perhaps to some
extent in Germany.
The United States Government is
maintaining an attitude of complete
detachment from all endeavors
which may be made in the direction
mentioned because the position
taken here from the outset is that
governments everywhere should ex-
press themselves or remain silent as
they please, without any suggestion
or intimation from the American
Government. For the last thing the
is any artificial lining up of govern
ments for or against the proposal.
Delay in Answer Gratifying.
The fact that formal reply has
been delayed for 10 days is in itself
a gratifying event because it empha-
sizes the serious nature of the Amer
ican intervention and the great po-
io1i of vx-l,o
ken so plainly as in the Presidents
message. Too many things are at
stake for blunt reply or an impul-
sive action to be taken, for while the
form of the message or the plain
ness of the language might have
been disconcerting to the Berlin and
Rome governments, the truth is
Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini
might well think twice before re-
jecting the American proposal which.
they are asked to note, is related as
much to economic readjustment as
1t is to the idea of a truce against
aggression.
So far as the cabled reports from
Berlin and Rome are concerned, it
is apparent the newspapers there
have not grasped the meaning of
the American offer. The Fascist
and Nazi editors seem to think the
proposal merely asks Germany and
Italy whether they will assure the
world against attack on the 81
countries listed. The President
plainly said he would also ask Brit
ain and France and the other coun-
tries to give similar assurances to
Germany and Italy. 1t was not a
trick question or one-Sided query
but bilateral proposal in every
sense.
The American action is the cul-
mination of events which have di-
rectly affected a treaty signed by
the United States and all the prin-
cipal nations of the world formally
renouncing war as an instrument of
national policy. This was known as
the Kellogg BRAND Pact. Use of
force in recent months has seemed
to make the Kellogg-Briand Trea-
ties dead letter. Since the
United States Government-inci-
dentally under a Republican ad-
Observation-Disclosures and ne
gotiated these treaties, it is Amer
ica's concern now whether these
treaties can be relied upon any
more as a basis of intercourse in
the world.
Economic Welfare Is Factor.
1t is conceded here that the dis
turbances in Europe have grown out
of economic Embellishments. Hence
any program that seeks peace must
recognize that the United States,
with its vast resources and supply
of gold, can be of immense help in
restoring economic stability. 1t is
this angle of the Presidents pro-
posal which may mean more to Ger
many and Italy than how to deal
with the formal question he asks
about aggression. For if there is to
be revision of the economic side,
then the basic reason for reaching
out to annex territory disappears.
Herr Hitler and Signor Musso-
lini have remarkable opportunity
to gain for their peoples, some
thing which up to now it has not
been deemed possible would be
offered by the United States, be-
cause ever since the war the cause
of international cooperation in
economic matters has been grow
ing less and less popular in America.
It will be recalled that in 1888,
President Roosevelt virtually termi-
mated the World Economic Con-
ference in London. Today such
. world conference would be at
tended by the United States and
pushed to success by the President
In every way possible because events
have changed since 1888 and the
need for an international economy
to help Americas own employment
situation is much better understood
by the administration.
Japan May Cooperate.
The attitude of Japan also might
well be one of friendly cooperation
with the Presidents proposal be-
cause of the economic factors. The
United States has no desire to i'm
pede japanese commercial develop
ment in the Far East provided it
Is conducted on basis fair to all
foreign capital, something which is
scarce nowadays, in the Orient and
without which Japan can hardly