Evening star., 1939-04-08


through the eX- n.;, ,
well as raw materials, the United
States is performing today exactly
the same service of supply as she
did in 1914.
But while international law and
custom have been flagrantly ignored,
the making of a record is of the
utmost importance for the democ-
racies, where public opinion is the
controlling force. Thus the Italian
seizure of Albanian ports is such a
clear act of aggression that it is
puzzling why Premier Mussolini
should have been inveigled into TAX
ing the step.
For in the long run, Italy's record
before the court of world opinion
must stand or fall on whether she
used her military and naval forces
for defense or aggression. And there
can be little doubt, from published
ment refused to accede to threats
and actually resisted coercion ap-
piled against it when the loss of
sovereignty and independence was
at stake.
Prestige Menaced.
The Albanians doubtless will be
overpoWered, but the damage do1e
Italian prestige throughout the
world will hardly prove worth the
trouble Up to now, the Italian
Duce has been condemned far less
in America than his ally, Herr
Hitler. There have been some who
believed that ultimately the British
would win Mussolini away from
Germany, but the Albanian episode
rather dissipates any hope for the
success of such allied strategy.
When the attack on Ethiopia
came, there were people in Britain
and France who felt that the
Italians had a right to exploit
Africa since the other European
nations had done likewise, but now,
when an independent kingdom in
Europe itself is made the victim
of a sudden invasion, American
public opinion, always important to
Signor Mussolini, will look askance
at the extremes to which totall-
tarianism has gone.
The situation becomes further
complicated because of the attitude
which the Vatican may be COM
pelled to take. Up to now, the
svmpathies of the church at Rome
have been on the side of nationalist
Spain. for example, largely because
the issue was represented to be one
of pro or anti-Communlsm. But
1t can hardly be contended that
this was involved in the seizure
of Albania. Will the Catholic
Church look on silently as the head
of the Italian state orders innocent
men. women and children bombed
In order to carry out designs OF
territorial aggression? The prob
abilities are that the Pope will have
something to say about it and that
Catholics throughout the world will
wait with deep interest to see
whether the Mussolini government
Is going to initiate the Hitler gov
ernment in more ways than one.
Encirclement an Alibi.
The only justification when RE.
rier Mussolini may claim is that
over since the French and British
started their policy OF so-calleo
"encirclement," he found 1t neces-
sary to take military and naval
steps to protect Italy. In other
words. the Mussolini viewpoint may
be that during a war-and GER
tainlv "undeclared war" differs very
little from actual war so Tar as
respect for the territory OF small
independent states is concerned
anv measure of defense is logical
and supportable. The totalltarlan
doctrine is to strike first and de-
bate afterwards. Swift-moving &C
ton is possible in a one-man gov
ernment and that is why the de-
mocracies are going to find it diff
cult to complete their "enc1rcle-
ment" plans.
What has happened in Europe
in the last few weeks is exactly
what President Wilson predicted
when he made his argument for
collective security by League OF
Nations. His contention was that
a system of military alliances sets
up balance Of power which can
at any moment be thrown out OF
balance, and then war results.
Small nations are then at the mercy
of the strong, and in the present
instance there is very little, if any,
mercy shown.
The alternatives grow clearer
every day. Can system of collec-
tive security be developed in Europe
In which all nations guarantee the
independence of all others or must
there be periodic wars in which one
group is able to hold the other in
defeat until the sinews of another
war can be found?
Americas Role in Balance.
Many who despair of seeing a sys-
tenn of collective security worked out
by Europe alone are insisting that
America, holding the real balance
of power, can assure world peace. If
by this is meant a threat of the
use of military force, the American
people will hardly be found sympa-
thetic; but if by this is meant a
program of justice for all concerned,
developed by the exercise Of the
moral force and leadership of Amer
lea, then there may yet be time to
halt Europe on the brink Of disaster.
Moral force means a mobilization
of the opinion of mankind. 1t
means expression rather than silence
and it means also the rallying OF
free peoples everywhere-a process
which sooner or later penetrates be-
hind the lines of peoples under the
yoke of dictatorS. Silence in the
face of wanton aggression has never
been the policy of democracies-
and the invasion of Albania must
inevitably release voices of condem-
nation which will reach the Italian
reople and make them begin tn real