Evening star., 1939-10-05
La Toilette Pictures
Embargo Repeal as
Step 10 War
Senator, Speaking in
Forum, Urges AIoofness
From Europe's TongIe

Senator Robert M. La Toilette,
Progressive, of Wisconsin. a member
of the Foreign Relations Committee,
spoke on the neutrality bill last
night in the National Radio Forum,
arranged by The Star and broadcast
over a Nation wide network of the
National Broadcasting Co. The text
Of his address follows:
You know that Congress is now
debating a change in our foreign
policy. 1t is making decision on
keeping or repeating the prohibition
against the shipment of deadly
weapons. This is not an ordinary
debate. It is one of those times in
life when you make decision from
which you may never again be able
to retreat. Even if the decision Is
wrong, we 60 on suffering the con-
sequences of one grave mistake.
There are times like that. 1t was
like that when the German people
voted for Hitler in 1888. Once they
had taken that decision they were
never given a second chance to go
back and change their minds. A
man tired Of life leans out over the
roof Of 10-story building. There
is q moment, a brief moment. when
he can pull himself back. He de-
cides not to. After that it does him
no good to change his mind. to de-
eide he wants to live.
You ard I are at the edge of that
roof now. For the first time we
really feel the pushing of people
who want us to close our eyes and
Jump.
Still for Embargo.
The real issue is not being dis
cussed much. The real issue at stake
is our own national interest. Is it
to start going into the war? Is 1t
to keep out? I am for keeping the
country out. I have been for the
arms embargo since it was proposed,
and I am still for it, The people
who applauded it in 1885 and 1887
and are against it now are the ones
who have changed their policy.
Some Of them have changed it from
staying out to risking little plunge
into war, partly for the fools gold"
1t will bring, partly because they are
willing to take sides. But you can
not take sides and then pull back.
That was the lesson of the last war
for us.
Let us not delude ourselves. Once
we have taken sides through action
by our Government in order to make
arms available to England and
France, the pressure will be terrific
to get us into the war.
Before we take such step which
may ultimately put us in such a
situation, let us examine our national
interest and determine what course
we should follow in order to safe
guard it. Our great national inter-
est is to preserve our own democracy
and to make it work. I am as much
opposed 10 dictatorship of every kind
or description, foreign or domestic,
as any living man and my record
will show that I have done my share
to preserve civil liberties and main
tain democracy, therefore I ask the
question: Have we any evidence upon
which to base the assumption that
democracy will be preserved In Eu-
rope II England and France win
with or without our aid? Our coun-
try joined them once before to make
the world safe for democracy. You
remember the tragic result! Are
they prospective allies to whom we
can entrust the safekeeping of our
national interest and the future of
America?
Fathered Nazi-ism Indirectly.
Let us review the record of these
partners who will soon be asking us
to join them in another waltz of
death and destruction. Briefly then
Great Britain and France used prop
aganda-much of it false-between
1914 and 1917 to get us into the war
on their side; then they pretended
to accept our high sounding war
aims, such as the IA points, making
the world safe for democracy, etc.
At Versailles they pulled out the
secret treaties and in wanton dis
regard OF the IA points and the
armistice they proceeded to grab the
spoils. In the years after the war
they helped to strangle every effort
towards democracy in Germany.
They thus became the illegitimate
parents of NaI-ism and all the ter
rlble things it has brought with it.
Great Britain backed up Japan
when she grabbed the first hunk
OF China in Manchuria and left us
holding the bag when we tried to
stop 1t. Great Britain and France,
despite all our efforts to cooperate
In checking Mussolini's gobbling up
OF Ethiopia, finally got together and
agreed to let him have it. Then
came Munich. Then democratic
Czecho-Slovakia, pledged protection
by France, was betrayed by them
into Hitler's clutches. And now Po-
land! Is this record from 1914 to
1889 one to inspire confidence and
trust? The answer is no!
New Partitioning in Prospect.
Today we know as little of the
actual war aims Of Great Britain
and France as we did before the
secret treaties were published in
the last war. Once more we hear