Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
The Real Losers

break OF a major war and to keep
this Nation at peace If, in spite Of
its provisions, other countries should
take up arms, was shorn Of its es-
sential safeguards and all but hope
lessly wrecked in the course of its
passage through the House. Already,
In some quarters, this action is being
hailed as defeat for the President,
and so it is. But Mr. Roosevelt is not
the only loser II the bill be finally
adopted in it's present form it will
serve at best as only a feeble deter
rent to war in Europe-if it would
not actually encourage war-and, if
that conflict should come, there is
very little in the measure to shield
America from involvement. In those
circumstances the Presidents defeat
is the public's defeat, and in the long
run it is the men and women of the
United States, and not Mr.. Roosevelt,
who will suffer the greater loss.
AS the bill came out of the House
it carried modified embargo which
forbids expectation of "arms and
ammunition to warning nations
The administration had sought the
elimination of the even broader en-
barge in the existing law, and the
substitution of cash and carry"
provision under which foreign nations
at war could acquire American sup
plies and munitions by paying cash
for them and transporting them in
their own vessels. That was frankly
intended to discourage the already
well-armed dictator nations from
launching war of conquest because
of the knowledge that this country's
material resources would be at the
disposal Of the French and the
British, through their control of the
seas, II they should be attacked. The
President and his advisers believed
and there was sound basis for the be-
lief-that such a statute might pre-
vent war by persuading the German
and Italian leaders that the democ-
racies, fortified with American sup
plies, would emerge victorious in the
end
But, if the House bill becomes law,
Hitler and Mussolini will know. if
they contemplate further aggression,
that their chances of success will be
brighter. for they are abundantly
supplied with arms and ammunition,
while the potential victims of their
attack are not. The British and
French, it is true, might buy other
supplies in this country, but on the
basis of the experience of the last
war they will sorely need cannon and
shells as we'll.
With these facts in mind, it is diff
ficult to understand how the House
majority could have failed to recog-
nize that it was making war more
probable. Representative Fish,
leader of the coalition that opposed
the President, told the House that
"the world is on the verge of war"
1t can only be concluded that man
kind is little closer to the brink Of
that awful catastrophe as a result of
Friday nights vote.
Nor does the House action in any
way assure that America will not be
drawn into the war, if and when it
comes. In fact, the contrary is true.
Under the administration bill Ameri-
can shipping would have been kept
out OF war zones and thereby pro-
tected from the danger of being sunk
by belligerents. Under the bill as
approved by the House our vessels,
loaded with military supplies other
than arms and ammunition, may
enter European waters, and if they
do it is certain that some OF them
will be sunk and American lives will
be lost. To understand what that
means, it is only necessary to read
the story of the months preceding
our entry into the World War.
The House bill, with its effort to
make a distinction between a ma
chine gun, which may not be sold
to belligerent, and bombing plane,
which presumably might be sold, is
ridiculous on its face. It is exceed
ingly doubtful whether it should be
permitted to become law. And if it
is rejected in the Senate or vetoed
by the President, the alternatives are
not encouraging. An effort might
be made to induce the Senate to ap-
prove the administrations measure,
but such move would seem doomed
to certain failure. The only other
choice is to let the present law, with
its comprehensive embargo, stand.
If that is the final result, those
who have opposed the Presidents
program will have achieved their
victory. And if that victory should
prove to be the deciding factor in
favor of war as against peace, civ
ilization as we know it will have sus-
tanned a defeat from which it NAV
never recover.