Evening star., 1939-05-22

During brief absence OF
Frederic William Vile, "WaSIl-
tngton Observations" are being
,Dritten by Henry L. Sweinhart.)
What's "invincible?" Reichsfueh-
rer Hitler, after an inspection of the
western front defense line which
he has been building, announced
that it was an impregnable bulwark
against enemy attack. Premier
Mussolini, returning from a journey
through the Piedmont region SINH
lar to the triumphal tours OF the
Caesars, expressed pride in what he
saw and, referring to the "axis al
lance" declared that this union of
150,000,000 people was an uncon-
querable force. The world today
weighs the signing of the announced
military alliance between the two
nations. If Germany and Italy,
through their alliance in arms and
through their frontier walls of steel,
are so strongly entrenched that no
enemy could smash this mighty line,
then the democracies must look to
other means, international authori-
ties hold, to combat the dictatorial
principle of government as exempli-
fled by the axis powers. But the
democratic nations of Europe, while
seeking other means of solving this
problem, are not allowing the breast
beating cries of invincible and i'm
pregnable"-intended in large part
for home consumption-to defect
them from their determined course
of military preparation.
President Roosevelt in opening
Foreign Trade Week, which is be-
ing widely celebrated throughout
the United States this week, well
expressed the deep-seated desire of
business men and of the public
generally, when he said: Pacific
intercourse is still the ideal of most
of the world. 1t is the dominant
purpose of the foreign policy of the
United States. Our hopes and our
aims are that peaceful interchange
shall again become the normal state
of affairs" Secretary of State Hull
emphasized what the President said
when he declared that there must
be an end to the attempt to sub
stitute for fair decision the threat
of stronger arms" Thoroughly con-
vinced of the soundness Of the re-
ciprocal trade treaty program which
he initiated, Secretary Hull believes
that better and increasing trade re-
lations between nations will remove
much Of the friction and many of
the disagreementS which now exist
between them.
X X
This year for the first time since
Foreign Trade Week" was inaugu-
rated, France is joining with the
United States in promoting the
idea. The members of a French
economic mission which has been in
Washington for several days past,
will unite during the week with
chambers Of commerce in Pittsburgh,
Chicago and several other cities on
their tour West, in exchanging for
eign trade suggestions. In addition
there will be an exchange of radio
greetings between representatives
Of French and American business
men, with J. c. Ricard, former min
lister Of commerce of France, speak
ing from Paris, and w. Gibson
Carey, jr., newly elected president
Of the United States Chamber of
Commerce, responding from New
York. The grand amphitheater of
the Sorbonne has been selected as
the place for the formal opening
of the French Foreign Trade Week,
with President Lebrun and other
prominent officials participating.
kx*
Great interest is being manifested
in official and diplomatic circles here
as to how strong the "totalitarian
influence" is in Latin America. The
most recent example of what was
believed to have been modelled on
the German dictatorial prototype
was in Bolivia. But this was
promptly denied by the President
and other high officials of that
South American nation, as was the
case earlier in Brazil where some
| what similar situation developed